Well, now I see you live in Cornwall...I don't know where I got the impression that you lived near Manchester....So yeah....it was kind of far, wasn't it? Especially since the shows were mostly festivals.
New album next year...but it will be really interesting to see what they do, in terms of a tour. They played only two shows in the US in 2011 - the two nights of PJ20, which WAS in the middle of nowhere - Bumfuck, Wisconson. And in 2012, they are playing exactly 4 shows in the US - 3 festival shows and only one 'real' show - also strategically located in the middle of nowhere - Missoula, Montana.
Needless to say, especially in light of the 20th anniversary and all that, American PJ fans are NOT happy. Especially since during that same period they played all across Canada, South America, Central America and Europe.
I mean, what is that? You are an American band and in the 2 years after your 20th anniversary, which you made a HUGE deal over, you play only 6 shows in the entire country - and not even ONE of them in Seattle?
Anyway...I expect that they will have to give the US a decent tour next year after the record drops...because they have to know that we feel pretty slighted with this 20th anniversary thing by a band that WE made famous.

We'll see though...