The Black Lips in NZ

The Black Lips formed when, as teenagers, after school friends Cole Alexander (guitar / vocals) and Jared Swilley (bass / vocals) signed up their friends Joe Bradley (drums / vocals) and Ben Eberbaugh (guitar).

Swiftly they became one of the Atlanta underground’s most talked about bands; along the way being banned from numerous venues for their wild live shows that have included vomiting, urinating, nudity, band members kissing, fireworks, and chickens; then the group faced the tragic loss of Eberbaugh, who was killed in a freak traffic accident. The band continued and enlisted the talents of New Orleans-born Ian St Pe.

That brings us roughly to the present and their reason for coming to this; our fair city.

The Black Lips are touring their recently released fifth album, and first studio album for VICE, titled Good Bad, Not Evil; the title inspired by the Shangri-Las song “Walk Right Up To Him (Give Him A Great Big Kiss). The album was self-produced in their hometown of Atlanta at The Living Room studios aided by the band’s friend Ed Rawls, a bartender at the nearby Drunken Unicorn bar, just around the corner from where fellow Atlantans Outkast work.

It is as much of a stompingly (is that a word?) good time as any other Lips album. Its energy and style is a ground together mishmash of blues, rock, doo-wop, country, 60’s psychedelic-blues-punk and drunken garage parties. It displays a newfound focus on craft and nuance without compromise to their trademark chaos and raunch. As someone once said about them, they’re something like Creedence crossed with gauze-wrapped early-'90s garagists the Mummies.

Either way, Black Lips can, to date, be depended on for raucousness, irresponsibility, occasionally sloppy tunes but their validity is overwhelming and so refreshing. The way they can find their way through the mundane darkness of modern music and discover their own notes and chords between the lines is unparalleled by their peers. Their substance is real, their new album is prerequisite, and their message is disturbingly clear. Rock'n Roll is soul-stirringly powerful and unpredictable, and there's nothing more important than that. This is the Summers HOT TICKET gig.

Do not miss the dazzling catastrophe that is a Black Lips live show.....extravaganza!!

Tuesday 11th December at SFBH, Wellington
Wednesday 12th at The Kings Arms,  Auckland (also with the King Brothers from Japan)


Wellington:
$22.50 + bf presales
from slowboat records, 183 cuba st

BAND MEMBERS JOE BRADLEY - Vocals & Drums
JARED SWILLEY - Vocals & Bass
IAN St. PE - Guitar
COLE ALEXANDER - Vocals & Guitar Black Lips on Conan


www.myspace.com/theblacklips