Reflecting a music equal measures both brut and sophistiqué, Tom Rodwell’s Rythmes Sacrés de la Guitare Électrique Primitiviste et Absurde tour winds its esoteric way through the stark backblocks and faded glories of New Zealand this spring.
Blending psychedelic-soul originals with vintage pre-war spirituals, improvisatory jump blues and frankly rude calypso, Rodwell’s repertoire is formidably diverse - not unlike the tour itself, this time completed entirely on the ésotérique New Zealand public transport system.
First-timers can expect to find this unlikely melange of primitive dance music in a series atmospheric haunts, from a farm shed under the Milky Way in rural Wairau Valley to a Victorian Opera House in Oamaru, alongside a selection of the county’s most conveniently-located rum, absinthe, and gin dispensaries.
Returning listeners will hear new, rare & racy deep cuts, including foreshadowing’s of Rodwell’s new album, recently crafted at Auckland’s Roundhead Studios entirely on 2-inch analogue tape.
From gravesides to riverboats to an abandoned castle in the Swiss mountains, Rodwell and his ramshackle band Storehouse has appeared in over 1500 soirees around the planet since 2003. This includes shows in the US, UK, Switzerland and Holland, as well as regular tours of duty in New Zealand and collaborations with artists including Don McGlashan on his recent best-selling Lucky Stars album.
“Rodwell easily manages to eschew the cliches that beset blues music. By turns wild, angry, hypnotic and sensual, it’s as uncompromising as it is funky and some of the best live music I’ve seen,” remarked Blues in London.
“Beautiful tunes, beautiful groove - you don’t hear that anymore,” - Derek Trucks.
“Tom Rodwell is Sheffield’s answer to Lightnin’ Hopkins,” NME.
Musicians and night-club proprietors lead complicated lives; it's advisable to check in advance to confirm engagements,” - The New Yorker.
