One of New Zealand’s biggest metal bands, Devilskin, will take to the stage of the 154-year-old building on May 31 as part of the 12-stop We Rise 10th Anniversary Tour.
Manager James Southgate says the last time the Hamilton-based band — comprising Jennie Skulander (lead vocals), Paul Martin (bass), Tony ‘Nail’ Vincent (lead guitar) and Nic Martin (drums) — performed in the resort was a decade ago, during the first We Rise Tour.
It was that album which launched Devilskin’s career — it debuted at No 1 on the New Zealand album chart, knocking off Ed Sheeran’s X, became the biggest-selling independent release of 2014, and the first rock/metal album to go platinum since Shihad’s Killjoy, in 1997.
While the tour’s honouring that album, Southgate says the gigs are focused on the band’s greatest hits over the past decade — while there’s also a chance they’ll play some of their new six-track EP, Surfacing, which includes their jaw-dropping rendition of 70s rock anthem Barracuda.
In a twist of fate, Devilskin released the cover of the song, originally performed by Heart, in March.
That day, Southgate got a call from promoter Brent Eccles, asking if Skulander could perform it on stage at Auckland’s Spark Arena with American heavy metal band Disturbed — they’d also just recorded a version with Heart’s Ann Wilson, which had gone to No 1 on Spotify.
"The stars aligned," Southgate says.
He notes that’s the second time Devilskin’s performed with Disturbed in Auckland — the first was in 2016 when their second album, Be Like The River, went to No 1.
Southgate says they’re pumped to get to back to Queenstown and perform in Arrowtown.
"I was there earlier in the year with The Feelers, that was a complete sell-out, and I just thought it would be good to get Devilskin back into the area.
"Around the country [the tour] is exploding, it’s been going really, really well."
Devilskin’s being supported by Tadpole, featuring indie-pop-punk singer Emma Dilemma, and Auckland rock duo Skinny Hobbs.
General admission tickets cost $79 + fees, via eventfinda
