Musical greats playing in NZ this Spring
From New Zealand natives to US superstars and British singers, there is so much prime musical talent playing in New Zealand this spring that you’ll need to act fast. Here are four of the acts you should dash out and get tickets for before they sell out.
Florence and The Machine
November 21 @ Vector Arena, Auckland
by Jason Persse
If you like your music with a dash of soulful eccentricity, then Florence and The Machine should be your gig of choice this spring. More British than cups of tea and the Royal Family put together, Florence Welch and her band are set to strut their stuff on Saturday November 21st at Auckland’s Vector Arena. This date is the finale in the How Big Tour during which Florence will play at Perth, Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. Fresh from playing at festivals Splendour in the Grass and the legendary Glastonbury, this is an exciting time for the singer. Her recent comeback single What Kind of Man has marked a new direction, away from the dreamy vocals and fantasy costume towards a more edgy, real-life image – in terms of both her musical style and her fashion choices. There’s also a new album, How Big How Blue How Beautiful, which was released in June. “This new album comes from a quieter place, one that is less grand and more vulnerable,” Welch told Billboard magazine back in May.
In the past Welch has hinged her image on being something of a British eccentric. She favours outlandish vintage styles, likes to talk about her misspent youth, and has been seen sitting in the empty stalls at a Surrey-Sussex cricket match with Felix White of the Maccabees. Felix is rumoured to be an old school friend, but from the pictures in the press they could well be talking about more than just betting on the British cricket teams. Who knows?
Despite her pared down approach, the November date should be a gig to remember. Florence’s performances tend to be passionate, with moments of trance-like bliss interspersed with Mick Jagger rock moves. At Coachella this year, she stripped down to her bra and broke her foot jumping into the crowd. What will she have in store for New Zealand fans this time? You’d better buy your ticket and find out!
The Beach Boys
November 24 @ ASB Arena, Baypark, Mt Maunganui
by @HayeurJF
Yes, you heard correctly – the Beach Boys will hit New Zealand this spring in what is bound to be a sell-out performance. The group are playing at the ASB Arena in Mount Maunganui on November 24th. The venue has just 3,000 seats, so fans will need to act quickly to get a ticket. The Beach Boys have been making music for more than 50 years, making them one of musical history’s most enduring stars. The band formed in 1961 and launched their first album back in 1962 after they signed with Capitol Records, becoming an instant success. Since then, they’ve released a mind boggling 29 albums. “We love what we do, and we’re blessed individuals to be able to do music and have people — multiple generations of fans — enjoy what we do,” Mike Love told the Quad City Times recently, saying that the band has no plans to retire any time soon. Considering its members are in their 70s, this is impressive stuff and great news for the millions of fans they have worldwide.
With hits like Good Vibrations, California, and Surfin’ USA, this is going to be a performance to remember. If your parents were fans in their day, they are going to want to tag along for sure. The last time they played at Mount Maunganui was 2004.
Fat Freddy’s Drop
October 24 @ Auckland Town Hall, Auckland
With all this international talent coming to New Zealand, you might be wondering what’s happening to the Kiwi musicians we know and love. Well, fear not. A decade after the release of their debut album Based on A True Story, Fat Freddy’s Drop will play on our shores this spring. Auckland Town Hall will play host to the band for the first time ever on October 24th, and the venue has said it will also be making the stalls behind the stage available for seating. Auckland fans will be treated to the first performance in a Fat Freddy’s Drop worldwide tour which will coincide with the release of their new album. Tour dates are set for all over Europe, including venues in France, Switzerland, Italy, Germany, Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Belgium, to name a few. UK fans will also get to see the band, but not until 2016, when there will be two shows at the famous O2 Brixton Academy. And if Kiwi fans are worried about missing their favourite tunes due to sold out tickets, they need not worry – word on the grapevine is that there are further shows planned in the summer for Australia and New Zealand.
Naughty By Nature
November 15 @ The Studio, Auckland
by Eva Rinaldi Celebrity and Live Music Photographer
If Hip-Hop is your thing then you’re in luck. Naughty by Nature have announced that they too will play in New Zealand. The trio are due to perform on Sunday November 15th at Auckland’s The Studio, where they will no doubt whip the crowd into a hands-in-the-air “hip hop hooray” frenzy. Naughty By Nature was formed in 1988 in East Orange, New Jersey, where they were mentored by Queen Latifa, another New Jersey native. After a few false starts the group released a track calledO.P.P in 1991 which sampled the Jackson 5’s song ABC. The track became a huge hit and reached number 6 in the Billboard Hot 100 chart, making it one of the most successful rap tunes of all time. Later on their song Hip Hop Hooraybecame an equally huge success and featured Run DMC in its video. Thanks to his appearance in the 1992 film Juice, band member Treach became friends with rap superstar Tupac Shakur and the pair remained close until the star’s death. Fast forward to today and, impressively, the trio have around for 25 years and continue to perform for their hordes of loyal fans around the world.