Two Cleopatra label favorites, Goth pioneers Jay Aston’s Gene Loves Jezebel and Stray Cat Slim Jim Phantom (Headcat, 13 Cats, Swing Cats, Voodoo Tones) launch their much-anticipated Hit & Run tour of the United States on April 8.

Eighties hit maker (and Pretty In Pink soundtrack standout) Belouis Some is also on the bill.

Key figures on the 1980s US college/alternative rock scene, Gene Loves Jezebel were responsible for a stream of immortal club and MTV hits, among them “Jealous,” “The Motion of Love,” “Heartache,” “Josephina” and “Desire (Come and Get It).”  

This is Gene Loves Jezebel’s first American visit since the release of their acclaimed 2023 album Love Death Sorrow X; 2025 also marks the 40th anniversary of the core trio of Aston, bassist Pete Rizzo and guitarist James Stevenson playing together – in fact, Stevenson’s first tour with the band was the US.

“The tour is definitely something we’re looking forward to celebrating this milestone with,” says Aston.  “It’s amazing that we’re still together after all this time!

“We’ve never stopped creating new music together and we are great friends. We’ll be playing so many of the classic GLJ songs of course, along with our personal favorites from the last two albums (Dance Underwater was released in 2017).”

He is also excited about the line-up for the tour.  “We played a wonderful show with Belouis Some in London recently. Such a great band and it was a pleasure to share the same stage.”  

Aston and Slim Jim go back even further; “I’ll never forget seeing Slim Jim with The Stray Cats at the Venue in Victoria, London, when they first came on the scene, and they were sensational. Jim and his beautiful wife, Jennie Vee are a striking rhythm section and I can’t wait to play these shows with them.”

Slim Jim also has a new Cleopatra release behind him.  Issued at the end of February, the tumultuous rockabilly stomp “Livin’ Ain’t Easy” is the first single by Voodoo Tones, a new band formed by Phantom with fellow Headcat alumni Danny B Harvey and Djordje Stijepovoc (Tiger Army), plus CM Wolf of The Delta Bombers.

The Hit & Run tour kicks off in Philadelphia on April 8.