For the very first time in New Zealand: the peerless prince of soul, the Reverend Al Green.
Backed by his unbelievable 12-piece band, Al Green's first ever New Zealand show on Thursday 21 January 2010 at Auckland's Civic Theatre promises to be a once-in-a-lifetime concert event. Tickets on sale at 9am 18 November.
Following a few dates in Australia, Al Green will then work his way over to New Zealand for one night at the Civic Theatre in Auckland, giving his fans the sort of performance they've dreamed about for decades - up-close and intimate.
Considered by many to be the greatest singer alive, Rolling Stone Magazine recently wrote: "Al Green's voice sits at the perfect point between romance and sex."
"Let's Stay Together", "Tired of Being Alone", "I'm Still In Love With You", "Here I Am (Come and Take Me)", "You Ought to Be with Me", "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart?", "Take Me To The River" - Al Green's endless string of timeless hits from the 1970s made him one of the era's biggest stars and R&B's most celebrated innovator.
Since then, the Reverend Al Green has forged a career as unique as his music, releasing an incredible 42 albums so far, selling over 150 million copies, and he has been the recipient of a total of eleven Grammy Awards.
At 63, Al Green's voice and his magic are as perfect and spellbinding as ever. His latest release, 2008's Lay It Down, debuted at No. 9 on the US Billboard pop album chart, while the legend's most recent concert appearances across America and Europe have received universal rave reviews.
"An Al Green concert is a free-form excursion, a hodgepodge of virtuosity, teasing, flirting, preaching, making faces, dancing, flinging red roses and coaching audience participation...he displays the voice and presence that make him one of soul's greatest singers." -- New York Times, June 2008
"He rocked the Royal Albert Hall as though it was an intimate club. After four decades of shows, the legendary Rev Al Green has lost none of his power." --The Times [UK], July 2007
"Green showed that he still has the chops, stage presence and charm to wow an audience of any age and demonstrate why he is so revered by artists of various genres throughout
generations." -- Seattle Local Music Examiner, August 2009
As every Al Green fan knows, the singer all-but-turned his back on the pop world in the mid-1970s to dedicate his life to God. He was ordained as a pastor and founded his own church in Memphis. But Reverend Green never stopped making music. His gospel albums alone have earned him eight of his eleven Grammy Awards.
It's only in recent years that Al Green has been tempted back into the world of secular music, encouraged by the young artists his music inspired. Green's recent Lay It Down album featured guest appearances from contemporary R&B heroes such as The Roots, John Legend and Corrine Bailey Rae.
As lifelong fans of Al Green know all too well, the great singer has never performed in Australia or New Zealand in his 40-year-plus music career, making him virtually the only true music superstar of the modern era never to visit our shores.
But that's all about to change. Everything is now locked in and confirmed - the Reverend Al Green will be in New Zealand in January. It's taken a lifetime to happen, but these are concerts no one will ever forget, from one of the greatest performers of all time.
