Homegrown international electronica heroes Shapeshifter will launch into their summer tour with their first-ever Lower Hutt gig.
Despite usually filling venues of two or three thousand in Australasia, on December 27 they will play Station Village, which holds about 1500.
Wellington-based keyboard and saxophone player Devin Abrams says the band is known for its high energy crowds, and the Hutt appearance is likely to be even more intense.
After forming in 1999, 14 years of heavy touring has been interrupted by the call of new fatherhood for one of their members, but they’re eager to get back on the circuit, he says.
This year Shapeshifter skipped their typical annual European tour, instead squeezing in an Australasian tour before Easter, then a DJ tour of Japan with reduced ranks, and an album release stopover in Rarotonga.
“It was maternity leave for the whole band, so we’ve had all of October off, that’s pretty rare,” Abrams says.
“We are really excited to get back on stage and see each other again, so it’ll be more energy than normal and Lower Hutt’s first up – so watch out!”
Their fifth album, Delta, was received well earlier this year, and in October they picked up Tui awards for Best Electronica Album and Best Group at the Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards.
They were also nominated for Best Album and Best Single.
The Lower Hutt gig is the first of nine summer dates for Shape Shifter, finishing at the Coroglen Tavern on the Coromandel Peninsula on January 3.
In April they head back into international waters with dates already set in England before another planned summer festival tour in Europe. .
Abrams isn’t daunted.
“It’s about just loving what you do … When you’re the one to provide that entertainment, how could you not be energised, it’s pretty awesome.”
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– Hutt News
