26 August 2013 - 0 Comments

The Trouble Will Find Me Tour > NZ 2014
Auckland Vector Arena > February 4th

“Their sixth album Trouble Will Find Me went to Number 3 in the US charts when it was released in May, Number 3 in Britain and Number 2 in New Zealand. They've played sold-out shows in just about every corner of Europe and North America, and critics almost universally agree they've somehow got better with every album.” - NZ Herald July 2013

“Everything about The National is interesting.” - http://www.under.the.radar.co.nz/ June 2013

From the Kings Arms in 2008 to three nights at The Powerstation in 2011 THE NATIONAL (from Brooklyn USA via Ohio) will return to New Zealand for their third visit on February 4^th 2014.

This time they will play Auckland’s Vector Arena. THE NATIONAL are that extraordinary example of how organic growth through unwavering quality and consistency can see a band become hailed and recognised as one of the very best we have.

The National are now operating at the peak of their almost incomparable powers and whether they like it or not have taken that leap from the leftfield world of best kept secrets to become a contemporary classic band. Few groups have sustained such absolute credibility with audience and critics alike. The slow burn effect of this has taken the National into a ‘mainstream’ world by stealth, where the band now sell a lot of records, headline festivals and play arena sized tours.

In today’s clammering climate and desire for instant success and gratification (no matter how thinly veiled the reality) this makes The National quite brilliant and one of the most important bands operating in music today. They are a band of quality, integrity, purity and depth,The National are a band that people believe in, a band for the people.

“The reason why The National have grown in popularity is simply because they consistently release wonderful records and the general population have just, simply, caught on.” - Cheese On Toast

After the success of their fourth album Boxer, The National’s artistic reputation was sealed and the global acclaim for 2010’s High Violet (Q Magazine’s album of the year) generated sellout performances around the world. Trouble Will Find Me was released in May 2013 and is the band’s most self-assured collection of songs and a tribute to a fully evolved artistic vision.

Live The National are spectacular. They fill rooms in a glorious way, their songs in turns cinematic, anthemic, angst filled, lovely, deranged and sweepingly uplifting. The connection with the audience is palpable. Rolling Stone magazine (July 2013) lists them in their Top 50 Greatest Live Acts – “Live, they give their songs extra muscle (bringing a horn section on tour helps), while maintaining the musical detail and emotional intimacy the recording studio”

The Guardian says of their recent London Roundhouse performance "a masterpiece of beautifully refined, fastidiously arranged elegies to human need and vulnerability….. It's extraordinary to watch so many people communally, euphorically connecting with these immaculate anthems of introspection and despair……they have fabulous, fluent rock songs to burn. If they continue on this trajectory, the world's stadiums await” 5 STARS

“The … singer is a cerebral, literary lyricist (he has the sensibilities of a novelist) who grips the crowd (they barely move and hardly a soul makes a dart for the bar) with his deeply personal lyrics. The supremely anxious "Afraid of Everyone", a track for misfits and the damaged, leaves the crowd rapt, rooted to the spot….sensational” 5 STARS The Independent

“incredible” 5 STARS London Evening Standard

Singer Matt Berninger in a recent interview with the NZ Herald commented on being very excited to return to New Zealand remembering the massively enthusiastic response from the previous shows. The National’s emotionally driven live shows have clearly struck the same chord with kiwi audiences as elsewhere – the songs are anticipated but the delivery tends to exceed even the highest expectations such is their capacity for brooding power and poignancy.

The last few months have been very productive for the National. Alongside the new album coming out they performed their song Sorrow for six hours straight as part of a performance art piece conceived by Icelandic artist Ragnar Kjartansson at MoMa PS1.They also added a new creative wrinkle with Mistaken For Strangers - a documentary made by Matt’s younger brother Tom Berninger, that premiered at Tribeca Film Festival. The film chronicles the band’s biggest tour to date and Tom’s less than successful but highly amusing efforts to juggle his dual role as assistant tour manager and film maker.

Alongside all of this The National have been touring consistently including headline slots at two of the biggest festivals in Europe – Roskilde in Denmark, Werchter in Belgium and Splendour In The Grass in Australia. They have played their own shows at such iconic outdoor venues as the Red Rocks amphitheatre in Denver, the Greek Theatre in LA, the Hollywood Forever Cemetry and also a hometown show to 19,000 people in Brooklyn.

On February 4^th The National return to New Zealand for one show only as part of their Trouble Will Find Me World Tour. Tickets go onsale on Monday 2^nd September at 9am from Ticketmaster and Real Groovy record store. The venue will be configured in free-flow mode whereby the audience have the choice between standing on the floor or being seated in the lower bowl of the arena.

Wherever The National play and whatever The National do it is something special.

Solid Entertainment are very proud to bring you The National, a touchstone band, a touchstone night.

TICKETS ON SALE MONDAY 2ND SEPTEMBER 9AM

http://www.ticketmaster.co.nz/ / 0800 111 999
and Real Groovy Records, Queen Street Auckland.

The Trouble Will Find Me Tour > NZ 2014

Auckland Vector Arena > February 4th

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