Meat Puppets Headed To New Zealand In May

Grunge pioneers the Meat Puppets are headed to New Zealand in May for two shows. The influential three piece formed in the early 80s and have continued to release music fairly consistently through the years but were buoyed in the early 90s in particular when Kurt Cobain famously covered three of their early songs - 'Plateau', 'Oh Me' and 'Lake of Fire' from Meat Pupppets II (1984) - for Nirvana's MTV Unplugged session in 1993. Fast forward a couple of decades and the Kirkwood brothers are still at it releasing new album Rat Farm last year which brings them our way in May, here are the details...

Undertheradar proudly presents...

Meat Puppets

Thursday 22nd May, Bodgea, Wellington
Friday 23rd May, Kings Arms, Auckland

Tickets on sale now from HERE at UTR or in store at Real Groovy in Auckland and RPM or Slow Boat in Wellington.

Here is Nirvana's MTV Unplugged performance of 'Lake of Fire' featuring Meat Puppet siblings Curt and Cris Kirkwood...

Here is the clip from 'Backwater' from their 1994 album Too High To Die.

And here's a single from their latest album Rat Farm...

Press Release:

Under the Radar present MEAT PUPPETS live in New Zealand for 2 North Island shows this May...

22nd May – Bodgea, Wellington
23rd May – Kings Arms, Auckland

Tickets on sale now from Undertheradar.co.nz / Real Groovy Records / Slowboat & RPM. Both shows R18.

With a career that has spanned four decades; the Meat Puppets have witnessed countless musical movements and have made admirers out of some of rock’s most renowned names. Being notables on the famed SST Record roster, the Meat Puppets massively influenced the likes of Nirvana, Pavement, Soundgarden, Sebadoh and Dinosaur Jnr.

Starting life in the early 80’s as a punk band in Phoenix, Arizona , the Meat Puppets evolved a style all of their own that blends punk with country and psychedelic rock, all punctuated with frontman’s Curt Kirkwoods’ unique vocals. Meat Puppets quickly gained traction back in the 90’s when just 138 days before his tragic death in ’93 KURT COBAIN invited The Meat Puppets to perform with him on MTV unplugged where Nirvana covered three classic Meat Puppets ‘ songs – Plateau, Oh Me and Lake Of Fire.

A Gold album (Too High To Die), hit MTV videos, high profile tours and a major label career followed. As did a legendary tale of rock and roll excess (that ultimately lead to the bands demise, breakups and reunions) all documented in the 2012 release of the bands biography “Too High To Die: Meet The Meat Puppets”

2013 proved the Meat Puppets still have it with the release of their latest album RAT FARM, frontman Curt Kirkwood described the record as “real blown-out folk music” to Rolling Stone and the description certainly fits, making RAT FARM an an intriguing listen. Rhythmic country and folk sounds abound on the record and are accompanied by the fuzzed out guitar you’d expect.

Meat Puppets are Curt Kirkwood, bassist and brother Cris Kirkwood with drummer Shandon Sahm (son of Doug Sahm) and new addition on second guitar, Curts son, Elmo Kirkwood.

The Meat Puppets are once again touring the globe. Don’t miss them LIVE in New Zealand this May.