Blondie, The Pretenders head to NZ
Legendary bands Blondie and The Pretenders have joined forces to play three concerts in New Zealand in December.
The double header launches the 2010/2011 'A Day on the Green’ season with concerts at Alana Estate, Martinborough, The Mud House Winery in Waipara and Vector Arena in Auckland.
The two bands have arguably two of the most compelling front women in the business - Deborah Harry with Blondie and Chrissie Hynde fronting The Pretenders.
Blondie emerged from the late 70’s New York punk scene and quickly became music, style and pop culture icons with hits like The Tide Is High, Call Me, and Hanging On The Telephone.
The last time the band toured in New Zealand was 2004.
The band’s first new album in six years, titled Panic Of Girls, is set for release later this year.
Co-headliners The Pretenders last toured Australia and New Zealand in 2007, with Hynde declaring the concerts 'some of our favourite shows of all time’.
With hits like Talk Of The Town, Back On The Chain Gang, and Don’t Get Me Wrong, The Pretenders have been making music for 30 years.
In an interview with stuff.co.nz Hynde revealed that whenever they tour the band has an unusual item on their rider.
"We must be the only band that on our catering there's a big bowl of avocados!"
"Nick, my bass player, has this secret recipe for avocado sandwiches which we eat every night on tour."
The avocados shouldn't be an issue when the band heads back to New Zealand.
Local support for all three New Zealand concerts is Christchurch band Dukes.
Blondie, The Pretenders with Dukes
Vector Arena, Auckland on December 16
Alana Estate, Martinborough, December 18
The Mud House Winery, Waipara December 19.
Tickets go on sale June 15.
*Are you planning to go to the concerts? Post your comments below.
- © Fairfax NZ News
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Newest First
Oldest First
@ 26 - Paul: Your pretty ignorant if you believe what happen with the weather had anything to do with the concert organizers, its not like they didn't want the show to go on!
I have been over the hill three times to see concerts at Alana Estate, and all have been fantastic! Great atmosphere and amazing experience - wouldn't miss this for the world!
You have been warned- waste your hard earned cash at your expense While we don't get the variety coming to NZ and tend to attrach the re-cycled has-beens save your $$$ up and go visit another country when a good artist visits
@paul#8 and @PC#20 have got me worried now, loved Blondie on album but never saw the band live, and on some of the youtube items it doesn't look very lively or animated, hmm will wait and see how much the tickets are, but sounds like an opportunity not to be missed if you are a Pretenders fan, have to say CH's voice does carry!
Ah, the nostalgia... am primarily into Richard Wagner these days, but I did really enjoy the Pretenders at QEII park in Christchurch in early '84, together with Simple Minds and Talking Heads, that was a "grand day out" if ever there was one - hope they're still good now for all those who want to see them!!
I would go, but at $130 a ticket Alana are following last year's Proclaimers flop by pricing themselves out of the market.
I paid less than that to see the Rolling Stones, for heaven's sake!
My husband and I will be there, already have our tickets through the pre-sale, yay, can't wait!!!
bentel #25
How so? There cant be one word so powerful as to counteract any possible declarative sentence. How have you reached your conclusion?
@ Obzen #6
Funny how you are not interested, yet you saw the title, and read the story.
to all you negative people, why comment if you have nothing good to say! in 26 and i cant wait to go! get a life some of you! you realy must have boring lives!!!
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B-52 concert 2009, My friend & I left Upper Hutt about 3:30ish(optimistic we were)called into a cake shop b4 heading over the hill, got to the venue in time to hear the announcement, they(organisers) were waiting for the wind to die down...we knew then the concert is cancel its all about Insurance...Hey they dished out some free bottle of WATER...not the wine though..nothing gonna dampen our spirits we're still gonna head over to future concerts..Yah!