Greg Franco and Rough Church New Zealand Tour
Posted: Sat Apr 14, 2007 3:25 pm

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American pop-rock artist Greg Franco will be touring New Zealand nationwide in April. Having recorded his latest offering Southpawwest in Dunedin with David Kilgour, Robert Scott and Tane Tokona, Greg is returning to our shores to promote the album which was released in New Zealand in 2006.

The series of gigs begins in Auckland and rolls downs to Dunedin. Accompaning him on tour are his US band Rough Church.

GREG FRANCO AND ROUGH CHURCH GIG DATES

12/04/07 Bacio, Auckland - with Infinite Flying Kick, Ivy Lies, Leery and Glenn Bodger

16/04/07 Kings Arms Tavern, Auckland - with Decortica, Venture Electric, Annabel Fay and Johnny Barker

17/04/07 Bar Mode, Palmerston North - with Black Pudding

18/04/07 Happy, Wellington - with The National Office, Dragstrip and The Moon Whispers

19/04/07 Dux De Lux, Christchurch - with Minisnap

20/04/07 Cathedral Square, Christchurch. Lunchtime Show 12pm.

20/04/07 Circadian Rhythm, Dunedin - with Robert Scott and Bill Direen

24/04/07 PR Bar, Auckland - with Decortica, Rimu and Jonathan Edwards
GREG FRANCO

“It all started when my band Ferdinand played with The Clean at the LA Knitting Factory back in Sept 2001. We got a call from the Knitting Factory booker to open up for this band I'd only heard of, called The Clean.

What I had heard was that The Clean were New Zealand legends…
Ferdinand opened the night. Luckily, Hamish Kilgour came out from the dressing rooms and was watching us closely. He took special interest, and because we were the first band that night, The Clean could have easily missed us by staying backstage. I think Hamish either called Bob and David out to listen, or he told them we were cool or something, I can't say, but it turned out to be a nice mutual admiration society kind of thing.

After we played, there was another band, and finally The Clean played. As they started, I was like moth to the flame. "Very special" I thought. I loved the shaman-like drumming style of Hamish and the optimistic and aggressive thump of Bob's bass. I also liked David's dark and strange but beautiful guitar, and in addition, David's voice and lyrics express his thoughts and images so well. The Clean's music is organic, mature. Timeless, really I got hooked.

To make a long story short, David and I killed a few days here and there in sun-soaked LA after he finished the 2002 Lambchop tour. He was exhausted, so we mostly just rested and bummed around, renting movies, eating good dinners, visiting people, and shopping a bit.

The Clean toured again in 2003 with Yo La Tengo. It was in San Francisco at the Phoenix Hotel, after a gig at the Fillmore, that I got a chance to play some new songs for them.

Back in LA a couple of days later, I took them over to the Huntington Gardens and casually popped the question about coming over to NZ to make a recording with them. They liked the idea. I guess New Zealanders are men who are true to their words because in April of 2004, it was all worked out. Schedules were cleared, dates were established, and a studio called Tin Shed was hired. Tom Bell runs the studio and it turned out to be the perfect choice. I felt confident enough to come halfway around the world and that the job would get done…”

MORE: Greg Franco's latest album 'Southpawwest' is available through Powertool Records. http://www.powertoolrecords.co.nz/gregfranco.htm

RE: Greg Franco and Rough Church New Zealand Tour
Posted: Wed Jan 9, 2008 12:10 pm

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