Hugh Laurie Announces Two New Zealand Shows

English actor  Hugh Laurie has announced two New Zealand shows with the Copper Bottom Band. Best known for his lead role in TV series House along with his appearances in Black Adder, he is also an ambitious musician and has released a couple of album in recent years. Joined by the Copper Bottom Band, Laurie is set to perform an eclectic range of genres from Blues to Tango to Southern American music, interjected with his charismatic British humour  - here are the tour details...

Hugh Laurie - Live In Concert
Tuesday 15th April, The Civic, Auckland
Wednesday 16 April, Michael Fowler Centre, Wellington

Tickets from Ticketmaster in Auckland and Ticketek in Wellington - more details below:

'Wild Honey'

Press release:

Hugh Laurie

First NZ Tour- Performing with the Copper Bottom Band

AUCKLAND Tues 15 Apr, 8pm ŸThe Civic, Auckland Ÿ
Tix www.ticketmaster.co.nz - 09 970 9700

WELLINGTON Wed 16 Apr, 8pm Ÿ Michael Fowler Centre Ÿ
Tix www.ticketek.co.nz - 0800 TICKETEK

"A rousing, wickedly entertaining, deeply memorable live show." American Blues Magazine

For the first time, Hugh Laurie – beloved English actor, producer, writer, musician and composer – brings his band, the Copper Bottom Band, for a major tour of NZ and Australia in April-May 2014. In a series of unmissable live shows, Laurie performs an eclectic mix of blues, tango, Southern and South American music, delivered with his inimitable, sharp British humour.

"We’re all thrilled to be coming to NZ to perform. I love the country, and the band loves air miles. We’re going to put on a terrific show. I might wear a kilt.” Hugh Laurie

Hugh Laurie is arguably best known and loved for his performance in the TV series House as Dr Gregory House, which earned him two Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Awards and six Emmy Award nominations. This follows Laurie’s cult roles in Jeeves and Wooster and A Bit of Fry and Laurie with Cambridge University friend and long-time comic partner Stephen Fry, Blackadder, as well as numerous Hollywood feature films (Stuart Little, 101 Dalmations, Monsters Vs Aliens).

As his acting career has prospered, Laurie has gone on to enjoy a successful career playing the blues music he loves. Playing the piano since age six, he was bit hard by the blues bug after hearing a song by Willie Dixon on the radio. As a pianist and vocalist, Laurie teamed up with the Copper Bottom Band, releasing debut album Let Them Talk in 2011 and triumphant second album, Didn’t It Rain, in 2013.

Didn’t It Rain, produced by Joe Henry, sees Hugh Laurie follow the trajectory of the blues from New Orleans upstream and into the American heartland. The album reflects a breadth of generations, including songs dating back to early pioneers W C Handy (“St Louis. Blues”) and Jelly Roll Morton (“I Hate A Man Like You”) to contemporary artists such as Dr John (“Wild Honey”) and Alan Price of The Animals (“Changes”), and also features vocal performances from Guatemalan singer Gaby Moreno and soul singer Jean McClain.