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===''Equally Cursed and Blessed'' (1999β2000)=== Following the success of ''International Velvet'', and the heavy touring that followed, the band were pleased to return to the [[Monnow Valley Studio]] to record a third studio album.{{sfn | Owens| 2000 | p=213}} On the recommendation of TommyD, the band had been recording sample tracks onto a DPS12 [[hard disk recorder]] in their tour bus while on an American tour and they returned to Monnow Valley to record them properly.<ref name="sos">{{cite news|title=TOMMY D: Recording Catatonia's 'Dead From The Waist Down'|url=http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/may99/articles/tracks.htm|access-date=15 April 2016|work=Sound on Sound|date=May 1999|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160412213847/http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/may99/articles/tracks.htm|archive-date=12 April 2016}}</ref> The band felt less pressure on them for the new album, due to the success of ''International Velvet'' and because they no longer feared being dropped by the label.{{sfn | Owens| 2000 | p=214}} In January 1999, the band announced their new album, ''[[Equally Cursed and Blessed]]''. The title was taken from a line from "She's A Millionaire", a song on the album. Preceded by the first single, "[[Dead from the Waist Down]]" on 22 March, ''Equally Cursed and Blessed'' was released on 12 April.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Bychawski|first1=Adam|title=Catatonia: Kung Fu and Curses|url=http://www.nme.com/news/catatonia/1015|access-date=2 April 2016|work=NME|date=25 January 1999}}</ref> The album, like ''International Velvet'', reached the top spot in the UK charts. Catatonia were so popular at the time that in April 1999, ''Way Beyond Blue'', ''International Velvet'' and ''Equally Cursed and Blessed'' were all in the top 40 of the [[UK Albums Chart]].{{sfn | Owens| 2000 | p=229}} But, the singles from ''Equally Cursed and Blessed'' did not repeat the success seen in the previous album.<ref name="catatoniabiography" /> "Dead From The Waist Down" ended up becoming the final single by Catatonia to reach the top ten in the singles charts, getting to number seven in the UK singles charts. "[[Londinium (Catatonia song)|Londinium]]" reached number 20, while "[[Karaoke Queen]]" barely entered the top 40 at number 36.<ref name="ukchart" /> In May, they played two outdoor concerts at the [[Llangollen]] International Pavilion in front of 6,000 people on successive days.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://link2wales.co.uk/1999/gigreviews/catatonia-gorkys-zygotic-mynci-llangollen-eisteddfod-field/|title = CATATONIA / GORky's ZYGOTIC MYNCI β Llangollen Eisteddfod Field β link2wales.co.uk| date=22 May 1999 }}</ref> This was a warm up to their largest concert so far, held at [[Margam Country Park]] near [[Port Talbot]]. Guitarist Powell stated the importance of the Llangollen performances, as North Wales was the first place where the crowd had sung along to their songs. Matthews added that Margam Park was chosen as no-one had ever held a concert there before.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Bychawski|first1=Adam|title=Welsh Assembled|url=http://www.nme.com/news/catatonia/1424|access-date=2 April 2016|work=NME|date=27 April 1999}}</ref> Catatonia supported [[R.E.M.]] on two European dates in June; there was an incident at [[Kindl-BΓΌhne Wuhlheide]], Berlin, when Matthews ran on the stage during the R.E.M. performance to kiss bassist [[Mike Mills]]. It was later attributed to her having drunk a bottle of wine.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Bychawski|first1=Adam|title=Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me|url=http://www.nme.com/news/mogwai/1609|access-date=2 April 2016|work=NME|date=8 June 1999}}</ref> The band had wanted to release "Karaoke Queen" as the second single off the album, but the record label forced them to release "Londinium" instead. Matthews was also equally angry that the cost for the video for the single was higher than the cost to produce the entire album.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Bychawski|first1=Adam|title=Cerys: We Hate 'Londinium'|url=http://www.nme.com/news/catatonia/1735|access-date=2 April 2016|work=NME|date=29 June 1999}}</ref> A month later, Barry Cawley, who had been a [[roadie]] for the band since it originally formed, was killed in a road accident in [[North Wales]]. Cawley had been cycling when he was killed by a driver in a [[Fiat Punto]]. Roberts explained prior to the funeral that the roadie had helped keep Matthews' "feet on the ground".<ref>{{cite news|last1=Bychawski|first1=Adam|title=Cerys Heartbroken over Roadie's Death|url=http://www.nme.com/news/catatonia/4012|access-date=2 April 2016|work=NME|date=31 July 2000}}</ref> The band attempted to break into the United States once more with ''Equally Cursed and Blessed''. The album release included two tracks from ''International Velvet'', including "Road Rage".<ref>{{cite news|last1=Jenkins|first1=Mark|title=Catatonia: Time to Wake America|url=https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-504067.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160505122258/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-504067.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=5 May 2016|access-date=1 April 2016|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=29 March 2000|url-access=subscription|via=[[HighBeam Research]]}}</ref> They had been scheduled to make appearances on American television shows such as ''[[The Tonight Show with Jay Leno]]'' and conduct interviews with the media. But after drummer Richards was taken to hospital in the UK with [[appendicitis]], it was abandoned and the rest of the band returned to the UK. Richards had remained in the UK and was due to join them a day and a half later. Rumours began to appear in the press that the band was about to break up, but a band spokesman stated that the intention was to return to the States later in the year.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Bychawski|first1=Adam|title=Catatonia Can't Stomach the States|url=http://www.nme.com/news/catatonia/3191|access-date=2 April 2016|work=NME|date=2 May 2000}}</ref> Performances did take place in Japan, Australia and New Zealand.{{sfn | Owens| 2000 | p=247}}
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