Urban factory the place to be

Great King St venue Urban Factory is the place to be next week.

On Thursday The Kids of 88 and The Naked And Famous are in for an album release tour, and on Friday the Dunedin club hosts a seated concert, launching the national tour for The Erica Miller Experience.

The Kids of 88 was one of the first to play at the then newly opened Urban Factory earlier this year, and Sam McCarthy remembers fun times and paint fumes.

"It was very fresh. I believe the paint was still drying in the boys' room."

McCarthy says their record is going well.

"It's going fantastically well I believe, so much better than we had originally expected. Mind you, in saying that it is hard to have a perfect grasp on the public's response to our album's release, but that's why the live shows are so great - you get to see who knows the other songs that aren't singles."

Both Kids of 88, and The Naked And Famous have a strong '80s influence.

"We always had influences hailing from the halls of yesteryear. However, it's usually been sound palettes and production work as opposed to direct band rub-offs.

"If we had to note bands ... it would probably be some early dance music, like Orbital, 808 State, Suicide, juxtaposed with more epic pop sensibilities like '80 to early '90s Madonna and Michael Jackson."

"We're currently into bands like Frightened Rabbit, Crystal Castles, and Health, and we're big Nine Inch Nails fans.

Although there's definitely some '80s bands that have inspired us - Cocteau Twins, This Mortal Coil and The Cure - we all grew up on alternative '90s music really."

• On Friday night new sounds give way to modern versions of the songs of yesteryear, as the Erica Miller Experience launches its national tour to celebrate the release of Miller's well-received debut album, of Elvis songs.

Miller says she's looking forward to "getting the band back together".

"I think there is a fair amount of interest regarding the tour.

"Practice is going to be tight, but I have great faith in the guys. We start on Tuesday at a secret location in town with all of the people available. But a full rehearsal won't be until Thursday due to [people's] work commitments. That's OK, it gives it a good edge. I'm sure it will gel great."

Kids of 88 and The Naked And Famous play Urban Factory, Dunedin on Thursday.

The Erica Miller Experience plays there on Friday.

 

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