JJ Grey and Mofro crew return to Australia
WHEN you blend influences such as Otis Redding and Run-DMC you get JJ Grey and Mofro. The Southern American rock, funk and blues band is heading our way.
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FROM the days of playing at greasy juke joints to headlining major festivals, JJ Grey still has a passion and drive like never before.
In fact, he plays more than 120 gigs a year. He compares it to “salmon”.
“I just feel like I have to do it. I always compare it to salmon, they swim out to sea and swim back and especially when they swim back it’s harder coming home against the current. I just know I’ve got to keep swimming upstream,” he laughed.
His quirky sense of humour, coupled with his presence before an audience, is something startling and immediate. As a boy, Grey was drawn to country-rockers, such as Jerry Reed, but also enjoyed Otis Redding and Run-DMC.
He managed to merge these genres and began touring as Mofro in the late ’90s.
He has a what-you-see-is-what-you-get attitude. “Audiences can expect an honest moment,” Grey said. “The shows are like a springboard for me to share an honest moment.”
Grey and his band Mofro were in Australia this year for Bluesfest. They have returned to give fans a solo show. “Bluesfest was phenomenal, honestly, the only other time we played at it was back in 2009 and it was awesome then too.”
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The blues, soul, funk and swamp rockers will be performing at The Factory Theatre in October, giving their fans a live taste of their latest album, Ol’ Glory.
The boys offer grace and groove in equal measure. “I like an album to have a balance, like a novel or like a film,” Grey said. “A triumph, a dark brooding moment, or a moment of peace — that’s the only thing I consistently try to achieve.”
JJ Grey & Mofro:
WHEN: Thursday, October 8
WHERE: The Factory Theatre, Marrickville
COST: $55
BOOKINGS: 9550 3666
Originally published as JJ Grey and Mofro crew return to Australia