John Cale & Jed Town - Auck. Thursday Nov 15

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

95bFM’S ROCK & ROLL WIRE & GROOVE GUIDE PRESENT


The Godfather of Everything returns for his first New Zealand appearance in over 20 years; with local legend added to the bill

Thursday Nov 15th sees the unmissable return visit of JOHN CALE to Auckland after 21 years. Cale’s last performance in Auckland was in 1986 at the Gluepot in Ponsonby, and though the intervening years have seen that suburb gentrified and up-marketed, John Cale has not inched any closer to the mainstream nor become an artefact preserved from days gone by. From his early work as an avant-garde classical composer and his status as one of the driving forces of the legendary Velvet Underground, Cale has remained an indefatigable presence on the contemporary musical landscape, neither compromising his experimental nature nor positioning himself above and out of reach of popular music fans. …

Just announced as a special addition to the bill is Auckland experimental veteran, JED TOWN. Town first came to prominence in the Auckland post-punk scene of the late 1970s and early 1980s, with his bands The Superettes, the Features, and Fetus Productions, the latter which gained prominence and notoriety internationally for their inspired and unique audio-visual experimentalism. An avid sonic explorer, over the years Jed Town has been involved with techno (as ICU and JedEye), film soundtracks (Henry, Portrait of a Serial Killer), and in groundbreaking 5.1 surround recordings of NZ flora and fauna For the opening slot at the John Cale show, Jed has assembled a band of “mystery special guests” who will be assisting him in revisiting compositions from various stages of his career.

For over four decades, JOHN CALE has remained at the vanguard of innovation, responsible for music from delicate
beauty to ferocious intensity. From his early- 60s internships with classical revolutionaries John Cage and La Monte Young
to his epochal contributions as a member of the Velvet Underground; his landmark production duties for The Stooges,
Patti Smith, and the Happy Mondays to his abundant soundtrack, ballet and orchestral detours and his16-album
strong solo canon, the one constant in his work is a characteristic unconventionality.

Cale is still drawn to energy, remaining entirely in tune with – and part of – today’s popular music. In May, his version of
‘All My Friends’ by the LCD Soundsystem appeared with the group’s original as a single; he has recently been working alongside noted producer Dangermouse (Gorillaz, Gnarls Barkley); while Cale’s most recent albums, 2003’s Hobosapiens (produced by Nick Franglen of Lemon Jelly) and 2005’s BlackAcetate were informed by the kind of urban grooves and rhythms many would associate with artists 40 years his junior. He has no time for resting on past achievements, or sonically repeating himself: John Cale is an artist of the 21st century with the same drive for innovation that has propelled him since his youth.

The one-engagement-only performance, featuring Cale’s current band, will offer selections of his work from
throughout his entire career. Recent shows has seen material from the Velvets through 70’s classics Vintage Violence, Paris 1919, and Fear, 1980s highlights Music For a New Society and Songs For Drella, right up through to his recent release BlackAcetate.

THURSDAY NOVEMBER 15
BRUCE MASON CENTRE AUCKLAND
TICKETS FROM TICKETMASTER AND REAL GROOVY

john-cale.com / myspace.com/johncaleofficialsite

© Scoop Media