Joan As Police Woman 'Real Life' 20th Anniversary NZ Tour Announced

A major 21st century songwriting voice, Joan As Police Woman's collaborative spirit has compelled her to work with a who's who of fellow greats, including Damon Albarn, Lou Reed, Iggy Pop, Rufus Wainwright, the late Tony Allen, and that's just the tip of the iceberg. A former member of Antony and the Johnsons, and fiancee of Jeff Buckley before he passed, Joan Wasser's solo vision emerged as Joan As Police Woman during the early '00s. The NYC artist's deeply soulful debut album Real Life was met with widespread acclaim when it launched in 2006, hailed as "gorgeous" and "a wonderfully fresh start" by the notoriously prickly tastemakers of the era at Pitchfork.

Two decades later, Joan As Police Woman has revisited her breakout classic first record with the release of Real Life Evolution, spotlighting fresh arrangements of Real Life. Amongst the album's guest contributors, punk god Iggy Pop leant his iconic gravely tones to a new version of 'Save Me', in fact recorded in Aotearoa New Zealand while touring here last year (Wasser played in his top notch backing band).

Joan As Police Woman and her trio will soon be back in Aotearoa, celebrating the 20th anniversary of Real Life in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. They'll be treating fans to Real Life performed in full ("with fresh arrangements reflecting her Real Life Evolution album released this year") plus selected highlights from Wasser's globally adored songbook. An artist whose local visits regularly sell out, we advise swooping on tickets when they go live — brought to you by Plus1...

"People ask me all the time: “Do you ever get tired of playing your old songs?” The answer is an unequivocal no. And if I ever did, I’d reinvent them until the joy came back — not as an act of revision, but of rediscovery. Songs live beyond their creators. Like us, they settle into themselves over time, finding their own equilibrium."

Joan As Police Woman
Real Life 20th anniversary tour

Thursday 18 March – The Piano, Christchurch
Friday 19th March – Old St Pauls, Wellington
Saturday 20th March - SkyCity Theatre, Auckland

The 24 hour presale starts 9am today via plus1.co.nz
General sale tickets are available from 9am, Thursday via Plus1, UnderTheRadar and Eventfinda

Here's Joan As Police Woman performing 'Feed The Light', for this year's Real Life Anniversary Sessions...

Press release:

Plus1 proudly presents Joan Wasser aka Joan As Police Woman live in New Zealand for shows in Christchurch, Wellington and Auckland, in March 2027.

Released in 2006 to critical acclaim, Real Life established New York’s Joan Wasser as a distinctive voice in the international indie scene, blending soulful vocals with sophisticated, jazz-inflected arrangements.

Joan As Police Woman and her trio will perform her classic debut album Real Life in its entirety, with fresh arrangements reflecting her Real Life Evolution album released this year. The tour will also include favourites from across her career-spanning 12 albums.