Michael Franti is a regular and much welcomed visitor to Australia and its greater community. Once more Michael Franti and Spearhead will return to weave their magical, music spell over Australasian audiences. This is Michael's first Australasian concert tour with Spearhead since the 'Everyone Deserves Music' tour. The Frontier Touring Company are delighted to announce shows in Auckland, Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Canberra.
Since his last sell-out tour of Australia, Michael has travelled to the trouble zones of Iraq, Israel & Palestine. This wasn't a USO green zone sponsored visit. Franti and his team organised a trip that would take him to the core of the red-zoned, war torn neighbourhoods of Baghdad, the West Bank and Gaza Strip with his guitar, video cameras and the intent to experience first hand the human cost of war.
Out of this journey, Franti created both the compelling documentary film 'I Know I'm Not Alone' and the searing, reflective new album of original songs titled 'Yell Fire!' recorded in Kingston, Jamaica and Franti's hometown of San Francisco, California.
Ironically Franti's journey has inspired his most uplifting set of songs to date. He explains 'The thing that I found is that when I was in the war zones, nobody wanted to hear songs about war. They wanted to hear songs about connection to people and songs about love and life; songs that make them dance'.
'Yell Fire!' is available through Liberator Music in Australia and debuted on the national Australian album charts at #14. "In the past, we've touched on a lot of genres of music," Franti says, "but this is an album where all of those things have been rolled into one. I feel this is our best record yet."
'I Know I'm Not Alone' - an uplifting blast of hope and the forthcoming radio/tv track from the 'Yell Fire!' album - will be delivered to media late July.
The Frontier Touring Company welcomes back Michael Franti and Spearhead touring Australia and New Zealand September 2006.
