Kim Salmon (The Scientists) Announces Debut New Zealand Tour

True icon of Australian punk / swamp rock, Kim Salmon has announced his first ever full scale tour of Aotearoa. Hitting our shores in just over two weeks and performing solo all across the motu until late October, Salmon's career spans more than forty years as frontman for such legendary groups as The Scientists (cited widely as "the first grunge band"), The Surrealists, Beasts Of Bourbon and much more. Here briefly last year for a one-off gig at The Wine Cellar, he's penned a letter to local fans and newcomers to Salmon's universe of sound, spreading the good word about his momentous first official New Zealand tour. Read his words, (re)acquaint your ears with our special introductory five song introduction to his music HERE and don't dare miss Salmon the dates below...

"Dear Aotearoa,

I’m coming over for a trip! I think it’s time I got to know you better. And you me!

I was over in 1996 with my band the Surrealists to play with the Cramps at the Powerstation in Auckland. We did another show with a band named after one of my songs from the Scientists — Solid Gold Hell but since then I’ve only had some visits with my partner who’s a kiwi and that’s just been Auckland and Rotorua.

Some of your musicians have definitely made an impression on me since I was a teen. Mike Rudd and Phil Keys ( what!? You’ve never heard of them?!...... ask your folks) to name a couple but later on there was that whole Flying Nun scene and of course my dear old departed band mate from the Beasts of Bourbon Spencer P. Jones was one of your own.

I did actually perform last year at the Wine Cellar in Auckland! I think I got away with it and it’s prompted me to try a few more places!

Anyway, My booker is breathing down my neck so for now I’ll say “see ya soon”, Kim"

Kim Salmon (solo)

Friday 30th September - UFO, Auckland (all ages)*
Saturday 1st October - The Wine Cellar, Auckland*
Tuesday 4th October - Paisley Stage, Napier*
Thursday 6th October - Valhalla, Wellington*
Wednesday 12th October - Space Academy, Christchurch*
Thursday 13th October - The Crown, Dunedin*
Thursday 27th October - Jam Factory, Tauranga Historic Village Centre

*Tickets available HERE via UTR

Check out wild 2020 live footage of Kim Salmon and band tearing through 'Already Turned Out Burned Out'...

Here's The Scientists' 1980 anthem 'Swampland'...

Press release:

LEAN DiRT presents KIM SALMON ...part Surrealist, part Beast, part Scientist Kim Salmon ...

Kim Salmon has been writing and performing stylistically diverse music for over 4 decades.He has done so in the Scientists, the Beasts Of Bourbon, Kim Salmon and The Surrealists,STM, the Darling Downs, Antenna, SALMON and simply solo. Kim Salmon has found a slightly or even wildly different audience at each juncture. At the start of his journey it was easy to ‘pigeonhole’ and label him but each incarnation and each format brought another aspect of artistry. Playing solo brought the narrative threads, the various combos brought the pop that some fans had glimpsed and wished for more of, the ‘concept’ acts brought challenging, entertaining, alarming and thoughtful ideas into an already shifting musical landscape. At this point Kim is the subject of a biography Nine Parts Water One Part Sand KimSalmon and the Formula For Grunge written by Douglas Galbraith (also some time drummer for Kim). He has recently had three successful Art exhibitions – one entitled Conversations held at Mario’s Café in 2019, another called Lexical atB Side Gallery in Fitzroy 3years ago and most recently The SurrealistsExhibition with fellow Surrealists Stu Thomas as One Star Gallery in WestMelbourne. And thePandemic?Kim’s response was to get his band the Surrealists into a recording studio for a live streamed totally improvised recording viewed by 7.5K people on the net. This was made into last years ‘Rantings From The Book Of Swamp’ double live album which has now reached the end of its initial pressing and is about to be licensed through In The Red. Some singers are thought of as entertainers and some are thought of as artists.Kim veers towards artist but the entertainment is there. His songwriting is sometimes expressionistic, sometimes humorous, sometimes narrative driven, sometimes plain bizarre and Surreal.