Tenth Annual Hamilton Circle Jerk Lineup Announced

The lineup for the Tenth Annual Hamilton Circle Jerk has been revealed, featuring local artists The Hollow Grinders, Contenders, Glass Shards, Mobile Stud Unit and lots more set to play at The Meteor in August. A showcase of Waikato’s bubbling music scene, the event requires artists to perform two covers of Hamilton artists past or present, as well as an original track. Previous iterations of the event have seen a young Kimbra take on This Night Creeps, hardcore punks Wasteland searing through three tracks in under three minutes, Ministry Of Hypocrisy playing six hundred and forty Hamilton songs at the same time and Wink Wink Nudge Nudge’s Rocky Horror Picture Show homage. Here are the details...

Hamilton Circle Jerk
Featuring... Arc of Ascent, The Hollow Grinders, Contenders, Funk Therapy, Halcyon Birds, Landlords, Bitter Defeat, Glass Shards, Dr Memser’s Private Army, Bloodlux, Mobile Stud Unit
Saturday 25th August - The Meteor, Hamilton

Check out some live sonic explorations from Glass Shards...

Here's live footage of Contenders in action...

Press release:

A quick Google search of the word 'jerk' defines the term as a sudden movement, an obnoxious person, or a treated dried strip of meat. A quick search of the term 'circle jerk', and the results become … ahem, a little more provocative.

However, search the name 'Hamilton Circle Jerk' and you will get an insight into Hamilton's rich music history. Way back in the early 2000s, a local musician formulated an idea that would become a definitive Hamilton event.

The rules were simple. Each band must perform two covers of songs by other local musicians, past or present, as well as one of their own original songs. Now celebrating its tenth year, the event has spawned similar concepts in cities such as Auckland, Wellington and Dunedin. Some have avoided the rather risqué name, but the rules have stayed the same.

Continuing in the true Circle Jerk tradition, this year's event showcases the diversity and musical talent we have in our fair city. Over ten bands will celebrate our music history, from local legends to up-and-coming bands, congregating together for the malarkey and mayhem that is the Hamilton Circle Jerk.

The Circle Jerk is the great tasty buffet to showcase the glorious musical smorgasbord Hamilton has to offer. So come along, celebrate, be a part of the festivities and our local music history.