On Friday February 27th, Australian alternative rockers The Church played LA’s El Rey Theatre as part of their 2015 North American tour. Active since 1980, The Church (originally called The Church of Man) have established themselves as legends of new wave & neo-psychedelia, building a devoted fanbase over a successful 35-year career. This lengthy history is reflected in the band’s Wikipedia page, chronicling the evolution of their sound, multiple departures and subsequent returns of founding members, solo endeavors and tours galore. Tensions among bandmates are bound to run high after so many years together and the group has had to rebound from some tumultuous periods. In 2013, frontman/bassist/songwriter Steve Kilbey announced his resignation from the band due to a recordings royalty payment dispute. Later in the year, Kilbey returned and announced the replacement of founding member/guitarist Marty Wilson-Piper, who had moved to Sweden and could not be reached, with guitarist Ian Haug (formerly of Powderfinger). With this new roster in place, Kilbey and company released their 21st studio album, Further/Deeper, last October and their show at the El Rey proved that they’ve still got it.
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