The Godfather of Psychedelic Rock, Roky (prounced Rocky) Erickson will perform one New Zealand show on 7th March 2012.
A strong influence in New Zealand on the early Flying Nun sound, legendary rock n roll pioneer Roger Kynard “Roky” Erickson has been called one of the unknown heroes of rock and roll. As the frontman for the 13th Floor Elevators, he helped pioneer a unique brand of heavy, hard-rocking electric blues and Erickson and his band were the first rock n rollers to describe their music as “psychedelic”. The group had a profound impact on the San Francisco scene when they travelled there in 1966, and that impact is still being felt some 45-years later, with artists such as The White Stripes, Sonic Youth, Wooden Ships and Robert Plant citing Erickson as an influence.
Having struggled with health issues for the best part of the last two decades, Erickson is back with a vengeance, and in recent years has given some of the best performances of his life at the likes of the Coachella Festival and throughout Europe, including playing the Royal Festival Hall in London. In 2008 he toured the US West Coast with fellow Austin, Texas residents the Black Angels as his backing band, and that same year he performed with Okkervil River at the Austin Music Awards and again at the famed SXSW Festival in 2009.
Roky Erickson may not be a household name, but he has rightly enjoyed the support of a fiercely loyal cult following throughout his career. In 2010 he released his first new album in 14-years, True Love Cast Out All Evil, and he will be bringing his renewed enthusiasm and remarkable back-catalogue of classics to NZ for the first time.
www.rokyerickson.net
Tickets onsale 27th October 2011 at www.ticketmaster.co.nz and Real Groovy Auckland.
More info: www.powerstation.net.nz and www.muchmoremusic.co.nz
