Over the past two years the Gunslinger's Ball has grown from the occasional evening of country-fried revelry to what the NZ Herald has described as a full blown 'wild musical feast [of] alt-country, cowboy, punk, folk and country blues bands.
Make no mistake - this definitely isn't your nana's hoedown. Straddling the divide between heartfelt alt-country, raucous blues, rockabilly brashness and punk bristle, the Gunslinger's Ball melts down musical barriers to the point where there are none. This is a show by and for outlaws, outcasts and outliers.
Sell-out shows and rave reviews are now the order of the day, and it seems the usual Auckland venues can no longer contain such a musical behemoth. Therefore, October sees the Ball taking it to the towns and provinces of this proud island we call North. On board are some of the bands that have become synonymous with all things Gunslingers:
The Broadsides - a near mystical amalgam of swamp blues, bluegrass, rockabilly with a tinge of gospel for good measure.
Bernie Griffen & The Grifters - led by gravelly NZ country legend and Americana aficionado Bernie Griffen, The Grifters will tear your heart out while simultaneously lifting your soul. They are that good.
Steve Abel - the sound of someone writing and singing from a place where there is no guile, just hard truth and clear eyes.” - Graham Reid
The Gunslinger's Ball take on:
Wellington feat. D Burmester and the Blind, Johnsonville City Nights, Eb and Sparrow, Emcee - Chris O'Shea (Shady)
Tickets on sale now from Ticketmaster & Rough Peel Music
http://www.ticketmaster.co.nz/event/2400491BE726268F'artistid=1770965&majorcatid=10001&minorcatid=1
More information:
http://www.muchmoremusic.co.nz/shows/gunslingers-ball-oct-2012
https://www.facebook.com/TheGunslingersBall
http://www.thebroadsides.org/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Bernie-Griffen-and-The-Grifters/149327018465043
http://www.abelsong.com/
