Music News

Weekly Roundup: Friday 8th November

C.C. / Friday 8th November, 2019 4:02PM

It was a sun-soaked, mega-crammed week of show announcements and that's how we like it. International heavy hitters heading our way in the near future include UK metal icons Iron Maiden are returning to Aotearoa for a headline event in May 2020, Kentucky metallic hardcore punks Knocked Loose are barrelling into Auckland this summer for a brain-blasting headline show, Danish thrash trailblazers Artillery are playing a crucial pair of NZ headline events in February, US punk heroes The Menzingers are journeying to Aotearoa for the very first time this coming March, and supports were revealed for legendary Manowar co-founder Ross The Boss' forthcoming NZ tour, playing Manowar's trailblazing 1984 album Hail To England in full. Less guitar-drenched options include London-based rising club DJ and producer LOGIC1000 is heading to Tāmaki Makaurau in December for a red hot summer headline show, and Masked Irish satirist Blindboy (of comedy hip hop duo Rubberbandits) is bringing the live version of his hugely popular The Blindboy Podcast to Aotearoa in February.

Local artists gearing up for live events include Don McGlashan and The Mutton Birds are reuniting to treat fans to an extensive tour of Aotearoa in early 2020, Aldous Harding is touring NZ with US dream-pop artist Weyes Blood and sibling duo Purple Pilgrims in March, and Tāmaki Makaurau indie-pop heroes Voom are teaming up with Beachware and a "super secret" local guest artist (you'll want to know who it is) for the third annual 100% GOOD Xmas Shindig in mid-December.

We caught up with none other than Pōneke psych duo Earth Tongue, who are heading out on their slightly overdue and much anticipated Floating Being Aotearoa album release tour in December. They've just dropped an eye-popping and otherworldly new video for their song 'Probing the New Reality', and kindly shared their Top Five Phenomenal Videos for your enjoyment right here. We were over the moon to premiere today the first ever official single from Pōneke multi-instrumentalist Ben Lemi's (Trinity Roots, Congress Of Animals) solo recording project Dawn Diver – listen to the dreamily evocative 'Warming To You' here and catch his band celebrating the release in Auckland and Wellington this month. We also caught up with Seattle folk songwriter Sneaky Bones for a cyber-chat - read Annabel Kean's interview with the artist here and experience him live, touring his latest album Strangers I've Already Met throughout Aotearoa in November. Rounding up, the latest episode of our UTR Caught Live video series dropped today, featuring a explosive performance by Kirikiriroa-based punks Contenders playing their song 'Bad Advice' to an equally wild Whammy Bar crowd at Whammyfest 2019 – watch here.

Our Caught Live video for the week features New Orleans sludge metal pioneers Eyehategod, who'll be crushing the skulls of local punters in Auckland and Wellington with their positivity-destroying anthems next weekend. Experience a taste of Eyehategod's intense stage energy live via awesome recent live footage of the band playing 'Blank / Shoplift' (from 1993's Take As Needed For Pain) for a rowdy and appreciative crowd in Montreal, Quebec...