15 May 2010 - 0 Comments

As a man whose musical career spawned from the early Seattle ‘grunge’ days, Mark Lanegan is a creature of undying integrity and an ever existing nuance. He has been noted as a poetic misfit whose lyrics remain forever etched in your memory long past first hearing them.

A discography that reads like a novel yet is executed as a perfectly written love song; his work thus far has attracted a dedicated and adoring fan-base worldwide. Co-founder and lead vocalist of Screaming Trees in 1985, Mark Lanegan now spends his time working on various projects with other artists whilst also strongly focusing on his solo repertoire and live performances.  In an announcement that has been very long awaited by fans, Mark Lanegan will perform in Wellington and Auckland this July, sharing with us an array of his impressive and extensive back catalogue.

Involved in Seattle’s emerging grunge scene from the mid 80’s and early 90’s with artists such as Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains and Soundgarden, Screaming Trees upheld an eminent profile amongst their musical counterparts and fans whilst remaining true to their rock and roll and blues influences. Their first EP Other Worlds was released via Sub Pop records in 1985 and shortly after they signed an album deal with Velvetone Records to release their debut album Clairvoyance.

In the short following years Screaming Trees released a myriad of albums (Even If and Especially When, Invisible Lantern, Buzz Factory and Uncle Anethesia, their first major label release through Epic and 1996’s Dust). The breakout was their 1992 sixth studio album Sweet Oblivion which included singles ‘Dollar Bill’, ‘Shadow Of The Season’ and ‘Nearly Lost You’ which became a huge MTV hit after the success of the alt-rock scored film ‘Singles’.

Throughout the nineties and after the demise of Screaming Trees, Mark Lanegan worked solidly on his solo efforts, first with glorious debut The Winding Sheet which featured a haunting version of Leadbelly’s ‘Where Did You Sleep Last Night?’ as well as ‘Down In The Dark’ (a track that Kurt Cobain contributed backing vocals for). Other solo albums included 1998’s Scraps At Midnight, 1999’s I’ll Take Care Of You (a predominantly covers album), 2001’s Field Songs (which featured contributions from Duff McKagan of Guns’n’Roses and Ben Shepherd of Soundgarden).

Mark Lanegan has not performed a full solo tour since 2004 when he went out in support of his most recent solo album Bubblegum. The album was certified a critical achievement and featured contributions from P J Harvey, Josh Homme and Nick Oliveri of QOTSA, Greg Dulli of Afghan Whigs, Dean Ween of Ween, Duff McKagan and Izzy Stradlin formerly of Guns’n’Roses and Wendy Rae Fowler. Bubblegum is Lanegan’s most commercial album to date and reached #39 on Billboards Top Independent Album chart.

Lanegan’s solo success and career with Screaming Trees has earned him endearing respect and praise but his collaborations with artists since are equally notable. Long time friend Greg Dulli (Afghan Whigs) first asked Lanegan to appear (and share lead vocals) on the closing track ‘Number Nine’ of The Twilight Singers album Blackberry Belle. The duo continues to share the stage (and vocal duties) today in their group The Gutter Twins.

After being invited to sing some lead and backing vocals on the Queens Of The Stone Age album Rated R, Lanegan became a permanent member of the band for albums Songs For The Deaf through to their 2005 release Lullabies To Paralyze. Lanegan was once quoted as saying that playing with Queens of The Stone Age was like playing with “essentially, my best friends”.

Isobel Campbell (former vocalist of Belle and Sebastian) and Mark Lanegan released their first EP Time Is Just The Same in 2007. Lanegan then provided vocals (and some lyrics) on Campbell’s album Ballad Of The Broken Seas, which was nominated for the 2006 Mercury Music Prize. After some very lucrative performances in the UK, the pair went on to record yet another album Sunday At Devil Dirt.

Mark Lanegan’s distinctive voice hones a rare musical depth that invokes emotion, understanding and sympathy from his listeners.  His compelling vocals are deeply affective and personal. His show is un-missable.

In his first New Zealand concerts ever, Mark Lanegan, solo. Performing songs from his entire back catalogue.

Friday 2^nd July
Bar Bodega, Wellington

Saturday 3^rd July
Kings Arms Tavern, Auckland

Tickets on sale Friday 21^st May from Ticketmaster http://www.ticketmaster.co.nz/ or phone bookings on 0800 111 999

Thanks to www.mgpromotions.co.nz for this story.

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