Andy Rouke launches new band with KAV and shares first track…

Andy Rourke has teamed up with British, LA based frontman / guitarist KAV to launch new band “Blitz Vega”. The band are based between LA & NYC. Music-wise think big driving tracks, guitar hooks, heavy beats, loops and live drums. File alongside; Iggy & The Stooges, BRMC, Queens of The Stone Age, The Kills, Kasabian & Primal Scream.

The band announce its first live dates; The Mercury Lounge, New York on June 10 & The Roxy, Los Angeles on June 12. Tickets go on-sale this Friday April 19.

The band are dropping a track today on This Feeling Records; ‘Hey Christo!’. Check it out below

Andy has been based in NYC since 2009, composing, writing and recording on various projects. He recently guested live with fellow Smiths member Johnny Marr & over the years has toured and collaborated with The Stone Roses Ian Brown & Mani Mounfield, Sinead O’ Connor, The Pretenders, Badly Drawn Boy, Killing Joke, Peter Hook, Bonehead from Oasis and most recently Dolores O’Riordan who passed away unexpectedly last year.

They are also recording a live EP at the legendary Abbey Road Studios on Saturday April 20 which is being shot as part of a docu-film, capturing the energy of the live band & the historic surroundings.

One of the most revered bass players in alternative music, Andy Rourke helped craft the iconic sound of the ’80s with The Smiths, who critics have called the most important alternative rock band to emerge from the British independent music scene of the 1980s.

Andy has been based in NYC since 2009, composing, writing and recording on various projects. He recently guested live with fellow Smiths member Johnny Marr & over the years has toured and collaborated with The Stone Roses Ian Brown & Mani Mounfield, Sinead O’ Connor, The Pretenders, Badly Drawn Boy, Killing Joke, Peter Hook, Bonehead from Oasis and most recently Dolores O’Riordan who passed away unexpectedly last year.

KAV helped Shaun Ryder reform legendary Manchester band Happy Mondays in his early 20’s, getting the band back together & onstage to 10,000 people on London’s Clapham Common, their first show in several years. He went on to tour internationally with the Mondays for 4 years, co-writing their album “Unkle Dysfunctional” and title track for the movie GOAL! “Playground Superstar. Highlights including Coachella Festival 2007, Fuji Rock 2006 and V Festival UK 2007.

KAV has been based out of Los Angeles since 2010. After playing Coachella with Happy Mondays in 2007 he spent some time in LA, which started his love affair with California. KAV released his debut album “The Man With No Shadow” in 2012 & has toured around the US, UK, Europe with his solo project. He’s guested live with Datarock several times, released a track “Mr Nice” in conjunction with good friend Howard Marks & recorded a music project with the late, international fashion icon Zombie Boy.