Paul Kelly returns to New Zealand

Celebrating his greatest hits album Songs from the South Volumes 1&2,
Paul Kelly returns to New Zealand in July for a special show at Auckland’s Montecristo Room

Hopeful songs. Angry songs. Songs of love: lost, found, lusted after, hoped for. Songs of regret. Bluegrass songs. A song based on lines from the Old Testament. Howling rock songs. One about Ned Kelly that might have been written 100 years ago. An instrumental surf song. One about the greatest Australian bowler of them all, to go with the one about the greatest cricketer of them all. Songs to play by the campfire, to dance to at parties. Songs to play at births, weddings, funerals, and all the times between.

It’s all there in the songs of Paul Kelly. Imagine a new visitor to Australia looking to get a flavour of the country and its people. The perfect place to start is with the music of one of the world’s great songwriters, the man who has chronicled Australia’s beauty and scars and desires as well as the personal insights which know no borders in an extraordinary songwriting career that now spans more than 30 years.

At an age when many songwriters struggle to keep the juices flowing, the songs keep pouring from Kelly as he continues to explore fresh musical terrain, from classic albums recorded with his band, The Boon Companions, to acoustic bluegrass (with Uncle Bill on Smoke and the Storm Water Boys on Foggy Highway), the feelgood collaboration bands Professor Ratbaggy and The Stardust Five and the massive Paul Kelly A-Z concert project, subsequently released online at Kelly’s website.

Songs like Kelly's are evidence that writers of his talent don't let the fire burn out. In fact, they learn knew tricks on how to keep the flame burning. And it's as bright as ever across the past 20 years of music on Songs From the South Volumes 1 & 2 – songs that are lodged deep in the Australian (and New Zealand) soundtrack – 'Before Too Long', 'From St Kilda to King Cross', 'When I First Met Your Ma', 'To Her Door', 'How to Make Gravy'

Paul Kelly last graced our shores with a rocking set at the Auckland Big Day Out in 2008. Now he brings his classic songbook to the Montecristo room for what will be a show not to be missed!

Tuesday July 21, The Montecristo Room, Auckland City
Tickets from Ticketmaster 09-970 9700 www.ticketmaster.co.nz