Barenaked Ladies star on Christmas tour, Birmingham memories and UK fans

Multi-platinum rock band Barenaked Ladies have announced an eight-date UK tour for December 2026, titled Yuletide Ride – their first UK dates since 2023.

The tour includes a show at Birmingham’s O2 Institute on December 10.

Over the past 38 years, the Canadian band have built a reputation as a popular live act, combining hit singles, accomplished musicianship and a strong connection with their audience.

Andy Shaw caught up with drummer Tyler Stewart to talk about the festive tour, the band’s musical influences and their memories of playing in Birmingham.

Andy Shaw: You’re coming back to the UK with a festive tour. How does that feel? Is it the right way to return, and are you happy with the idea?

Tyler Stewart: We really enjoy playing some of the holiday songs we recorded back in 2004. Barenaked for the Holidays is the gift that keeps on giving. Every year, it gets airplay, and people have fond memories of holidays spent listening to the likes of Barenaked Ladies, Michael Bublé and Sarah McLachlan.

I think the fact that we can still come over and play shows after 37 years is amazing. We still have a great audience in the UK, and all our tours there are rewarding.

There’s a musical literacy in the UK that’s unmatched. People really let you know if you’re doing a good job, and they really let you know if you’re doing a shite job. That’s an amazing audience to play for – a knowledgeable, listening audience.

Some of the best shows of our career have been when people are singing along at the top of their lungs, whether at Glastonbury or in Glasgow or Birmingham.

Whenever we get on the plane to come over, there’s always a sense of anticipation. What’s it going to be like? Are people still going to show up? Is it going to be like the heyday, when we played Wembley Arena? We never know.

But I think bringing a holiday tour over is a great idea because it’s something a little different and a little novel that might pique people’s curiosity.

AS: You’ve done holiday shows back home in Canada. Is there anything you’ve learnt from those, or anything you’re planning to tweak for the UK, or is it simply a case of saying, ‘This is Christmas – let’s sing Christmas songs’?

TS: We like to mix it up. We’ll definitely play our hits and some deep cuts, along with whatever takes our fancy, but a nice sprinkling of holiday tunes is fun.

We have some original Christmas and holiday music that we love playing, but we also do covers. It’s fun to mess around with that material because, goodness knows, there are a million versions of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. What if you could put your own stamp on it?

We’ve been doing one we really enjoy. It’s a mash-up of War Pigs by Birmingham’s own Black Sabbath and Santa Claus Is Coming to Town.

AS: When you revisit Barenaked for the Holidays, are there one or two songs that make you particularly happy because you know you’ll be playing them again?

TS: That’s a great question. I always love playing Green Christmas. That’s a special song because it was in the Grinch film directed by Ron Howard. When we recorded it in Los Angeles in July, with Ron Howard in the control room, it was so weird. What a strange business! So Green Christmas brings back special memories.

I also love two slower songs, Footprints and Snowman, which are lots of fun.

And, of course, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, which we recorded with Sarah McLachlan, is a favourite with audiences, and we try to do it justice.

We don’t have Sarah with us, but that won’t stop Ed from introducing her every night. In the middle of playing it, he’ll say, ‘Ladies and gentlemen, will you welcome to the stage … Sarah McLachlan!’ and everyone goes crazy.

Then he says, ‘Wouldn’t that be cool?’

She’s not there, but wouldn’t it be amazing if she were? Usually, some people never quite get over it. They spend the rest of the show sitting with their arms folded. That’s usually the women, while their husbands or boyfriends are loving it. They’re thinking, ‘Thank you!’

AS: Do you feel you put your own stamp on familiar Christmas songs, or do you try to keep them traditional while adding a twist, if that makes sense?

TS: I think we definitely put our own stamp on them.

One of the things I loved most about Christmas as a kid, apart from tearing open the presents, was the music. Whether it was the school band or community bands playing Christmas tunes, the Christmas concert was always the most fun.

I think there’s a sense of that in the music. But nowadays, when radio stations play Christmas hits non-stop from around November 25, and every shop you walk into is playing them, it can get overwhelming. You start thinking, ‘I’m so over this.’

But getting the chance to play the music myself is a redeeming factor. It makes me love it more.

AS: You’re playing Birmingham’s O2 Institute on December 10. Do you have many memories of playing in Birmingham over the years?

TS: Oh, absolutely. Seeing the city centre transform has been incredible. We’ve watched the area around the Bullring change so much over the years.

We’ve had some amazing shows at the Hummingbird. I remember some sweaty, incredible gigs there.

We also had a good friend back in the day, Samantha Mia, who worked at BBC Birmingham. She used to put on a radio pantomime at Christmas and would call us. We’d usually be here in Toronto, so we’d link up over the phone and record our parts, which she would splice into the pantomime.

She was a real early supporter of the band. Over the years, we’ve had such great regional support in the UK. I feel very fortunate that, after 36 years, I’m still coming back and playing music for people who love it.

AS: A lot of people who don’t know much about you might assume you’re an English band because of your musical style and the way you do things. I think it’s really refreshing that you bring those influences into what you do.

TS: Oh, thank you. That’s a nice compliment because all our big influences growing up were English bands.

Whether it was Duran Duran, U2 or Stephen Duffy, we listened to a lot of British music. There was a radio station in Toronto that played the life out of British music, and we grew up listening to it. It was probably more influential to us in those years than just about anything else.

That’s why I think the musical literacy of the British audience is so high. There’s been so much amazing music coming out of the country over the years, and we soaked it all in.

AS: When you revisit your own hits, which you’ve obviously played a million times, do they still give you a buzz?

TS: We’re a band that isn’t ashamed of our hits. Some bands struggle with that. They have to change them or take them out of the set altogether.

If we get tired of something, we’ll give it a rest or change a section of it, but generally, I love playing those songs.

The greatest example is If I Had $1,000,000. I feel like that song isn’t really ours any more. It belongs to the audience because, as soon as we start playing it, everybody’s happy and singing along at the top of their lungs.

We know the song so well that we can sit back and enjoy watching them enjoy it.

AS: I think that’s the main thing that comes across when you see the band live. You enjoy the fact that everybody else is enjoying it, and there’s that back-and-forth connection, which you don’t always get when you see bands live.

TS: Absolutely. Some people might be going through the motions, they might be tired, or they might genuinely feel uncomfortable on stage.

We’re a bunch of guys who feel at home on stage and at home with each other. I think you’re right that it comes across in the show. That’s really been a hallmark of everything we’ve ever done.

If you haven’t seen us live, you might have heard one of our songs and thought, ‘Yeah, that’s kind of charming.’ But being in the room with us when we’re playing is always a special experience.

AS: Finally, if someone hasn’t seen you live before and is thinking of coming to Yuletide Ride, what would you say makes a Barenaked Ladies gig special?

TS: Imagine the greatest music you’ve ever heard, played by the best-looking Canadians you’ve ever seen. There you go – I’ve said it!

Honestly, come ready to smile and leave with a smile on your face. Enjoy the evening.

If you know someone who hates the holidays, remember that this time of year can be difficult for people. Maybe we can turn that around a little and help you look forward to spending time with friends and family – and eating far too much.

AS: That’s lovely, and a beautiful way to finish. Thank you.