Television Announce One-Off Auckland Show

Seminal New York post punk band Television will play a one-off Auckland show in October. The band are in Australasia to play the Melbourne leg of All Tomorrow's Parties where they will perform their masterful 1977 album Marquee Moon, in its entirety. The Auckland show will apparently consist of "songs from across the Television cannon" which is 40-year, game-changing career that started at New York's CBGB club alongside artists Talking Heads, Blondie, Patti Smith, Richard Hell and more. Their work has been a cornerstone of the alternative rock landscape ever since and singer/guitarist Tom Verlaine, bassist Fred Smith, drummer Billy Ficca and guitarist Jimmy Rip will perform this work, in Auckland, come October. See below for press release and ticketing information, and have a listen to two of our favourite Television singles, 'Marquee Moon' and 'Venus' - both from Marquee Moon - below.

Television - one New Zealand show only:
Thursday 24th October, The Powerstation, Auckland

See below for ticketing information.

Press Release:

New York legends Television will play a one-off New Zealand show at Auckland’s The Powerstation on Thursday October 24, their first visit Downunder in a career spanning 40 years.

Singer / guitarist Tom Verlaine, bassist Fred Smith, drummer Billy Ficca and guitarist Jimmy Rip will perform works from right across the Television cannon including songs from their 1977 masterpiece Marquee Moon – consistently rated as one of the all time classic releases.

Founded in New York City in 1973, Television played their second ever show in early 1974 at then fledgling country / bluegrass club CBGB’s - inadvertently creating a hub for the pre-alternative culture of the lower Eastside, alongside the like-minded Patti Smith Group, Blondie, Talking Heads, Richard Hell, The Heartbreakers & Ramones.

Also on the bill for this unmissable Auckland concert is Ed Kuepper from Australian heroes the Saints - performing an acoustic set featuring songs from the Saints, Laughing Clowns, and his considerable and acclaimed solo career.

Plus1 and 95bFM are proud to present the Television / Ed Kuepper concert, with tickets on sale next week as follows:

My Ticketmaster and Plus1.co.nz members from 9am Tuesday August 6

General sale from Ticketmaster & Real Groovy from Thursday August 8

In 1975 Television released their debut 7" Little Johnny Jewel, a two-sided 7 minute opus of street talk and taut no-frills guitar work featuring Tom Verlaine’s prodigious talent.

In 1977, following increasing major label interest Television finally signed to Elektra (home to The Doors, The Stooges and Love) and released their debut album, the absolute classic, Marquee Moon to massive critical acclaim. It was an instant success cracking the charts in several European countries and going on to become of one rock's most influential albums.

"The influence of ‘Marquee Moon’ cannot be overestimated. The post-punk movement certainly took on board numerous aspects of the record – the clinically precise instrumentation, the clean sound and the introspective, vaguely gloomy feel. That filtered through to the indie movement of the ’80s, for whom the record became one of the sacred texts, while even bands like The Strokes have clearly taken inspiration from it. It would not be an overstatement to say that ‘Marquee Moon’ is to the ’70s what ‘The Velvet Underground & Nico’ was to the ’60s." - NME 60 Most Important Albums of NME's Lifetime.

In 1978 Television released their second album, Adventure, a masterpiece of songwriting and musical interplay. However, by year's end they had split up - the drudgery of touring, the individual band members’ own artistic beliefs, and internal tension cited as the reasons.

In 1992 Television reappeared – albeit briefly – producing an eponymous album, select shows including a headline show at Glastonbury, and then they were gone again.

Television made a surprise return in 2001 at the UK’s All Tomorrow’s Parties Festival. This time though, they decided to hang around continuing to play sporadic live shows and even threatening a new album.

“Forget everything you’ve heard about Television, forget punk, forget New York, forget CBGB’s … hell, forget rock and roll—this is the real item.” (SoHo Weekly)