Flynn Scott, McGrath, French for Rabbits for benefit gig   19 Sep 2016

Samuel Flynn Scott, Adam McGrath and French for Rabbits confirmed for Renters United gig

WELLINGTON, 16 September 2016 — A star studded line-up of musicians will take the stage onThursday 22 September to raise funds for Renters United.

The gig — at Moon Bar in Newtown — will features a fantastic roster of well-known and critically acclaim musicians: Samuel Flynn Scott (The Phoenix Foundation), French for Rabbits, Adam McGrath (The Eastern, The Harbour Union) and Paddy Burgin and the Wooden Box Band.

Tickets are $20 (or $15 unwaged) and all proceeds go towards Renters United's campaign for Warm, Dry, Safe Homes for all renters. Pres-sales are available from www.undertheradar.co.nz.

Robert Whitaker, Organiser from Renters United said:

"It's really exciting that artists of this calibre are willing to join with us in our fight for Warm, Dry, Safe Homes for all renters. Every cent we raise from the gig will be invested in our campaign to ensure Wellington elects a council that will fix our rental housing stock."

Jessie Moss, from The Paddy Burgin Wooden Box Band said:

"I want to support Renters United as they make it really easy for voters to see which council candidates will work for renters rights. I absolutely agree with Renters United, that every rental home should be warm, dry and affordable. In my suburb, Newtown, 70% of residents are renters. As the law currently stands, this makes the majority of my community highly unstable and vulnerable to thinks like avoidable diseases, high household costs and transiency. Strong communities need healthy, connected and happy people. A rental WOF would go a long way towards this goal."

Details about the line-up:

• Samuel Flynn Scott is a founding member of Wellington indie-rock band The Phoenix Foundation and an award-winning songwriter and composer. His work with the Phoenix Foundation has produced six critically acclaimed and award winning albums as well as providing the scores to two of New Zealand's most successful movies: Boy and Eagle vs. Shark. He has also released two solo albums.

• French for Rabbits are a Wellington/Dunedin based quartet led by Brooke Singer and John Fitzgerald. They have a developed a loyal fanbase around the world following their debut full length album Spirits and two of their songs featuring on the soundtrack to the TV show "Vampire Diaries". Their live shows are a mesmerising experience, punctuated by the sideways charm of their lead vocalist – once described in concert as making a concert hall feel as comfortable as a living room.

• Adam McGrath is a folk singer stationed in Port Lyttelton. He travels the state highways and byways of New Zealand and parts beyond, slinging songs and offering up low rent bar-room philosophy with his band of misfits and chancers, The Eastern. He hopes for the best, prepares for the worst and believes in the poetry of Smokey Robinson and the Miracles and the fury of word on the page. His songs have gathered a clutch of good reviews in NZ and overseas, he's been nominated for a couple of serious music awards (including the Apra Silver Scroll), Graham Reid from the NZ herald called him 'NZ's toughest minded songwriter’ and Barry Saunders from The Warratahs simply described him as “The Truth”. With The Eastern and solo he has shared stages with and opened for Fleetwood Mac, Steve Earle, Old Crow Medicine Show, Jimmy Barnes and many more.

• Paddy Burgin is a Wellington musician and guitar maker. By day he makes slide guitars, octave mandolins and other instruments for players all over the world. By night he writes and plays music as a solo performer or with any one of the several bands he is involved with. His latest album is called Old World. The name comes from track three, which is a tribute to the Pike River mining disaster on the West Coast.

About Renters United:

Renters United — launched in 2014 in Wellington — is a member-led campaigning organisation, working to make renting better for all renters. It's focus in 2016 is on putting pressure on Wellington City Council to introduce a warrant of fitness for all rental properties in Wellington, including a campaign alongside the local elections this month.

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