The Puddle Touring NZ in July!

Former Flying Nun Records outsider psych-pop legends The Puddle are undertaking their first NZ tour since the early 1990s in July.

The Puddle celebrate 25 years of continual existence this year. Formed in Dunedin by George D. Henderson in 1984, The Puddle released an EP (Pop Lib), a live album (Live at the Teddy Bear Club), a studio album (Into the Moon) and a 7" single (Thursday) on Flying Nun between 1986 and 1993. all long since deleted and rarer than radium now.

An album recorded in 1993 and thought by George to be so good it would release itself (Songs for Emily Valentine) yielded the bNet hit Southern Man appearing on the 1993 bFM Louder compilation and a 7 single Power of Love on French label Acetone, before the album was eventually released on Powertool Records in 2005.

But this tour isn¹t a nostalgia trip. The Puddle have recently released two new critically-acclaimed underground albums - No Love - No Hate (2006) and The Shakespeare Monkey (2009) ­ on Dunedin label Fishrider Records. Their irregular live performances over the past decade have focused on current and future material rather than playing the greatest hits they never had. That said, there will always be a selection of songs from their bewildered past.

Tour dates:

Sun 5 July - Chicks Hotel, Port Chalmers (early gig 8 ­ 11)

Thu 9 July - Wunderbar, Lyttelton (with Green Eyed Owl)

Fri 10 July - Frank's Cafe, Greymouth (with Rex Bourke & the Aways)

Sat 18 July - Happy, Wellington (with Marineville)

Fri 24 July - Ward Lane, Hamilton (with The Hollow Grinders)

Sat 25 July ­ Dogs Bollix, Auckland (with The Hollow Grinders)