In Christchurch, if you’ve been around music, as a fan, as a player, or as a business then you know Al Park. If you spend 10 minutes in public with him, you’ll have ten different hellos coming his way, from head nods to hour-long debates, everyone knows him to say hi to.
Those close to him know his influence as well.
There’s probably (and thankfully) an Al in most towns and cities but for those of us in chch we know him from everywhere: From his early punk days in Vapour and the Trails and the founder of seminal (first and initially only) Punk venue ‘Mollet St.’, To playing the pimp in The Exponents video for ‘Victoria’ To packing every venue in town with the Latino Rock’n’Soul of Louie and the Hotsticks,
Standing behind the counter and dispensing (sometimes unwelcome!) opinions on everyone’s buying habits at Chch’s greatest record store Echo, To being one of the meanest bar band leaders in The Latter Day Sinners, To running one of the most popular touring circuit venues in Al’s Bar,
To being a father figure to the disparate friends who made up the ‘Lyttelton Sound’ (Marlon Williams, Aldous Harding, Delaney Davidson, The Eastern, Lindon Puffin), And finally but not at all the end of things, as an integral part of the city’s post-quake musical recovery.
Al has simply been there for everything and everyone.
Through it all, he’s been on his porch in Lyttelton and corners of bars everywhere around town writing and singing his own songs. Never really looking for the ‘big time’ and calling the idea of such out for the bullshit it so often is. For Al, it really has been to quote Townes all “for the sake of the song”. In 2018 the compilation album 'Better Already' was released featuring New Zealand artists such as Jordan Luck, Marlon Williams, Delaney Davidson, Adam Mcgrath, Anita Clark (Motte), Adam Hattaway & Anthea Struthers singing and playing tribute to the songs written by Al Park. Now, after a long hiatus from Park's self-titled album in '89 and 'Human Thing' in '99 Al Park is now releasing 'Pony'. Produced by Adam Hattaway & Elmore Jones and influenced by the likes of Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, Little Feat & Steve Earl, 'Pony' is an Americana, country-rock album featuring songs written by Al from the 1970s to now.
'Pony' is out May 27th and what better way to celebrate than a good ol' album release party in port.
Join us at the Loons on Friday the 27th of May, AL PARK & HIS BAND with special guests
ADAM MCGRATH & JESS SHANKS + ADAM HATTAWAY AND TESS LIAUTAUD
