Samuel Scott Flynn from the Phoenix Foundation will open for Brit-pop royalty, Gaz Coombes for his single NZ show in Auckland, September 17.

The Phoenix Foundation have released 6 critically acclaimed albums since forming in Wellington 20 years ago. They have been nominated for more Silver Scrolls and NZ Music Awards than any other New Zealand band. 

The Phoenix Foundation have appeared on Later..With Jools Holland and are one of New Zealand’s most loved acts. 2018 will see them tour the country performing their songs with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. 
 
Samuel’s three solo albums have led to support slots ranging from Nick Cave (with David Kilgour) to Neil Finn. He has produced and co-written tracks with many well-known creatives including composing the music for Taika Waititi's Eagle Vs Shark and Boy, two highly successful New Zealand films.

World’s Strongest Man is the magnificent third solo album by Gaz Coombes and is listed in The 18 Best Albums of 2018 by BBC Radio 6. Inspired variously by Grayson Perry’s the Descent of Man, Frank Ocean’s Blonde, Californian weed, British woodlands, unchecked masculinity, Neu! and hip hop (and a whole lot more besides), it’s a truly remarkable collection of eleven deeply personal songs each set to expansive, addictive melody. From the deep soul purge of the title track’ to the coruscating Fripp-goes-motorik sprint of Deep Pockets via the gorgeous cyclonic ballad Slow Motion Life and Vanishing Act’s raw-as-hell stream of consciousness panic attack, World’s Strongest Man is a bold, ambitious, free-thinking, future-facing rock‘n’roll record.
 
World’s Strongest Man is the follow up to 2015’s Matador – a record pretty much conceived, recorded and mixed in the studio equivalent of solitary confinement. Following its release, Gaz evolved from ‘the former Supergrass frontman’ to hugely respected Mercury nominated solo artist in the space of just ten months. That album spawned five singles and was described by Q as “his masterpiece”.  Like Matador, World’s Strongest Man was written, recorded and produced by Gaz Coombes at his home studio and at Oxford’s Courtyard Studios (with co-production from long time studio partner Ian Davenport in a working process Gaz compares to what it must be like “editing a novel”).

Gaz Coombes with special guest Samuel Scott Flynn

Tuning Fork, Auckland:  17 September 2018

Tickets via Ticketmaster