Like new hot water brought to the surface on the Rapaki shore, the town of Lyttelton has been bubbling and literally bursting with life and especially song.
This spring sees some of Lyttelton’s collective talent swaggering around New Zealand on a fourteen-date tour, circumnavigating the coast and laying waste to big and small towns alike.
The Eastern, Lindon Puffin, Delaney Davidson and Marlon Williams (The Unfaithful Ways) will pack up the songs and traveling sacks and throw the banjos, fiddles, acoustic guitars, bullet mics and harmonicas in the back of the van, and do together what they’ve have been doing as individuals around New Zealand and beyond for the last few years.
Rolling out like an old time tent show, The Lyttelton Rough House Revival Tour will be a rollicking, rough housing, roof raising, ramble through the power of the New Zealand folk song. The three-hour show features full sets from each of the acts plus an extended all-in singalong-throwdown.
THE EASTERN
The Eastern need little introduction to kiwi fans of foot-stomping bar-room folk music. This relentless ensemble is continually described as NZ’s hardest working band. Three albums in and with a reputation as a fierce and heart swelling live draw, 2012 has seen the band spend four months touring around NZ and Australia. They’ve supported and toured with the likes of Fleetwood Mac, Steve Earle, Old Crow Medicine Show, Jimmy Barnes, Trinity Roots, The Warratahs and Louisiana’s own Lil’ Band O’ Gold. Their latest album ‘Hope & Wire’ peaked charts at #2 in the NZ and reached number #1 on iTunes NZ. The album has gathered killer reviews everywhere including 4 stars from the UK’s Q magazine and 5 stars from the NZ Herald. Their song ‘State Houses By The River’ has also made the top five finalists for the APRA Silver Scroll NZ song of the year. Closing the show every night, The Eastern promise to put it down as hard and as heartfelt as they possibly can.
LINDON PUFFIN
With fifteen years touring and performing experience behind him, Lindon Puffin is another fellow APRA Silver Scroll nominated singer/songwriter joining the Revival. With his latest album ‘Hope Holiday’ gathering critical and commercial praise (4.5 stars NZ Herald), Lindon is well known as an engaging, anarchic and heartfelt presence on the highways and byways of NZ. His two previous records ‘Show Pony’ and ‘Stuff Like That’ found him touring everywhere harder and longer than most, and his documentary ‘Figure 8000’ became a constant presence on Sky TV’s documentary channel and in cinemas alike.
DELANEY DAVIDSON
Country crooner Delaney Davidson has spent most of the last year on the international touring circuit. Delaney describes himself as part-man-part-wheel, as he rolls his never-ending tour around Europe and the Americas, and now back home with his port pals. Already this year Delaney has won the APRA Best Country Song 2012 and 2011 saw him make the final five nominees for the APRA Silver Scrolls. Davidson has garnered stunning reviews for his album ‘Bad Luck Man’ including five stars from the UK’s Guardian newspaper.
MARLON WILLIAMS
Marlon Williams is the lead singer and songwriter from The Unfaithful Ways. Marlon has been fêted nationwide as the great young hope of country music. The Unfaithful Ways’ debut album ‘Free Rein’ made every notable 2011 highlights list and the band were finalists in the 2011 Vodafone Critic’s Choice Awards. Williams’ songwriting talent was again applauded when his song ‘Ghost Of This Town’ was nominated for the APRA Best Country Song 2012 ,and the album made the finals for this year’s RIANZ Best Country Music Album. Delaney and Marlon will be presenting songs from their soon to be released collaborative album.
Shaken and battered by quake after quake in the past year, Lyttelton has proved itself to be a resilient and positive community, and springing from this spirit all four acts promise to carry some of that attitude and solidarity to folks throughout the country. Big cities and small towns alike will be shaken by the rumble these pickers, singers and chancers will bring with them. After joining forces on last year’s top twenty earthquake charity album ‘The Harbour Union’ (Album of the Year, Christchurch Press), it would be a bold pundit who would predict the Lyttelton Roughhouse Revival Tour to be anything less than one of the most thrilling, exciting, heartwarming tours of the year.
Tickets from ticket direct.co.nz
LYTTELTON ROUGHHOUSE REVIVAL TOUR DATES
Nelson - Theatre Royal - Aug 23rd
Christchurch - Lyttelton Top Club - Aug 24th
Christchurch - Lyttelton Top Club - Aug 25th
Diamond Harbour - Memorial Hall - Aug 26th
Dunedin - Plato - Aug 31st
Port Chalmers - Chicks Hotel - Sep 01st
Oamaru - The Grain Store - Sep 2nd
Wellington - Bar Bodega - Sep 06th
Paekakariki - St. Peters Hall - Sep 07th
Whanganui - Savage Club - Sep 08th
New Plymouth - Butlers Reef - Sep 09th
Leigh Sawmill - Sep 14th
Auckland - Whammy Bar/Wine Cellar - Sep 15th
Napier - Cabana - Sep16th
Barrytown - Barrytown Hall - Sep 20th
