"The campaign is being advertised in 140 countries, so although there was a minor backlash here with regard to the song's origins, it can't be a bad thing ... the Rugby World Cup is a global event, and the song used as the soundtrack on the advertisement should reflect that.
"... Right Here Right Now is selling well and climbing the charts, so we're not too depressed."
Gee says people who attend the band's Dunedin show should expect a lengthy performance.
"We'll be playing all the old hits but also showcasing a few newbies this time around. The downside of the band being together this long is that the length of the shows seems to extend every year. We'll be playing for about two hours with a short break in the middle."
He laughed at the idea that the Feelers could turn into the next Exponents: "What do you mean? We've been striving relentlessly for 17 years to try and become The Exponents!".
Gee believes the New Zealand music industry is way stronger than when the Feelers started out.
"I think there's certainly a lot more faith in the industry now that wise investment by record companies in a good band is likely to see a return.
"It seemed as though in the '90s the industry mainly concentrated their efforts on artists from the big overseas markets that were a proven seller in their own territory.
"I think there has always been a huge amount of talent here, it's just taken a while for some people to catch on."
Gee says this is a pretty big tour for the band, and they're planning to record album number six.
• See them
Catch the Feelers "Right Here, Right Now" Tour
> Tuesday, August 3: Lake Wanaka Centre, Wanaka.
> Wednesday August 4: Revolver Bar, Queenstown
> Thursday, August 5: Waikiwi Tavern, Invercargill
> Friday, August 6: Urban Factory (formerly Outback), Dunedin
