Amp Fiddler in Melbourne
Finally the god of soul returns to the best city in the country… and rocks on brunswick street fitzroy
AMP FIDDLER (USA) + MAYER HAWTHORNE (USA) + QUANTIC (DJ set / UK)
Sat 9 Jan
Amp
Niche Productions is proud to announce this massive triple bill of the hottest funk and soul acts around today. Amp Fiddler returns with his full band and is one of the hottest soul acts on the scene today, having played with everyone from Prince and George Clinton to Primal Scream and underground Detroit producer Moodyman. Mayer Hawthorne – a new comer on the scene has one of the freshest retro soul sounds around today. Having recently released his debut album ‘A Strange Arrangement’, Mayer Hawthorne has already captured the attention of the likes of Mark Ronson and Gilles Peterson with his timeless sound. Hawthorne brings with him his full live band for his debut tour of Australia. Quantic – a name synonymous with Funk and Soul around the world, returns to cap off the line-up and treat audiences to a DJ set.
Joseph “Amp” Fiddler is a musician who has an extensive list of credits that extends across a couple decades. Fiddler, who produces and sings in addition to doing the bulk of his duties on keyboards, organs, and pianos, has played on records by Prince, the Brand New Heavies, Ramsey Lewis, George Clinton, the P-Funk All Stars, the Dramatics, Primal Scream, Was (Not Was), and Too Short. With significant help from bass-playing brother Thomas “Bubz” Fiddler (another member of the extended P-Funk family), Amp released With Respect on Elektra in 1990 as Mr. Fiddler. Although the record didn’t fare well commercially, it was a solid update of ’70s funk with modern production sensibilities. In 2002, Amp issued a 12″ called Basementality on the Genuine label. Featuring a remix from close associate Kenny Dixon, Jr. (aka Moodymann), the record was an even split between modern soul and funky club music with Fiddler’s talents boldly displayed. The Love and War single came out the following year, and the full-length Waltz of a Ghetto Fly saw release in January 2004. Another solo album, Afro Strut, was released in the U.K. in 2006; Play It Again Sam licensed it for U.S. release a year later. Two years later, Fiddler and Sly & Robbie kicked off the Strut label’s collaboration-oriented Inspiration Information series.