Ben Harper performs during Milano Summer Festival at Ippodromo San Siro on July 17. Photo /File
Ben Harper performs during Milano Summer Festival at Ippodromo San Siro on July 17. Photo /File
Matt Corby and Ben Harper may be from different generations but the quality of their music and their wide appeal across the ages make them an ideal fit for one show.
This week, it was announced Corby would join Harper — a three-time Grammy Award winner and seven-timenominee — and his band The Innocent Criminals on his 2020 New Zealand Tour in February.
The tour opens in New Plymouth on February 21 and will head to Auckland, Queenstown and Napier before closing with a show at Mount Maunganui's Mount Park on February 29.
Matt Corby has been added to the line-up for the Ben Harper and The Innocent Criminals' 2020 New Zealand Tour in February. Photo / File
Corby — a soulful award-winning, multi-platinum-selling musician — has been performing in the public eye since 2007, when he was runner up on Australian Idol.
Californian-born Harper has been making music for three decades, released 14 studio albums, with some of his biggest hits including Steal My Kisses, Diamonds on the Inside, With My Own Two Hands and Better Way.
Neptune entertainment promoters Mitch Lowe, Pato Alvarez and Toby Burrows say together, the pair fit well and will provide an enjoyable experience for audiences in summer.
"As a company we can't wait to host him for the first time," Burrows says.
Ben Harper and The Innocent Criminals. Photo / Getty Images
There is no doubt Corby has made his mark on the music industry with hits such as Brother, Resolution and Miracle Love, two ARIA Song of the Year awards and a number one debut album, Telluric. His new album Rainbow Valley boasts a fresh energy written after fatherhood — and that energy will be shared with the Bay of Plenty crowd.
Burrows goes as far as saying "New Zealand can expect the best show he can deliver", performing with his full band.
"Matt will bring a huge energy and will have the crowds belting out the classics, warming up perfectly before Ben takes the stage," Burrows says.
Matt Corby performs on the Amphitheatre stage during Splendour In The Grass. Photo /File
"Ben and Matt will be co-headlining the show with full sets, so we've made sure they have the time to play both classic and newer material for the fans," Alvarez says.
And he says the line-up is not yet finished, with more announcements to be made.
"The line-up varies in different cities. We are excited to also feature some of NZ's leading bands and acoustic artists to open the day," he says.
Lowe says even though Corby and Harper are from different generations there is no denying the talent each possesses.
"Matt is the perfect addition to Ben, both musically and due to being one of Australia's most respected singer songwriters," Lowe says.
"They are both widely loved by young and old, and there's just the right amount of crossover."
Tickets for the 2020 New Zealand tour are available from neptuneentertainment.co.nz.
The fine print: ● WHAT: Ben Harper with special guest Matt Corby ● WHEN&WHERE: February 21:TSB Bowl of Brooklands, New Plymouth. February 23: Cargo Brewery, Queenstown. February 27: Logan Campbell Centre, Auckland. February 28: Church Road, Napier. February 29: Mount Park, Tauranga.
