KEY POINTS:
From All Blacks in Marseille, to rioting students in Otago - The Black Seeds are back and ready to take the country by storm .
After a seven-week European tour, the band is barely back on New Zealand soil but kicked off a national tour on Thursday night,
starting with Dunedin.
Black Seeds frontman and lead singer Barnaby Weir said on the eve of the first concert that the tour was something to look forward to.
Following "raucous" Dunedin was Christchurch, then a move on to Queenstown to perform at the Cocktail World Cup last night, which Weir was expecting to be dangerous.
"We'll get to partake I imagine - and a few world class cocktails hopefully ."
Another aspect that excited the band was the chance to return to their roots in Wellington, when the North Island stretch of the tour begins on October 5.
With seven of the eight members hailing from the capital, the two performances in Wellington are likely to be packed out with friends.
"We love Wellington, but we never play Wellington. We've recently been playing everywhere else, so it should be good," Weir said.
The week leading up to the Wellington shows will also offer an opportunity for the band to reunite with friends when they are joined by former band member Bret McKenzie.
Now well-known for his part in award-winning comedy duo Flight of The Conchords, McKenzie will join to group to play at the Manawatu Arts Festival, during a brief break between the band's time down south.
The tour coincides with the release of the band's third single, Cool Me Down, from their latest album Into the Dojo.
The album was released in Europe by renowned labels Sonar Kollektiv and Rough Trade, which led to the latest European tour.
"It was really positive. There was lots of interest from international labels and recording companies which is good for us," Weir said.
While in Holland the band had the opportunity to play at the Lowlands music festival, an event that attracts more than 56,000 people.
"All these people checking us out for the first time, and the response was good."
Another highlight was the last leg of the trip when the band hit France.
Playing for an audience of about 400 in Paris, and for the All Blacks in Marseille, the group were in familiar company with more than a few Kiwis attending the shows.
"All in all it was a great trip."
After forming in 1998 the band received plenty of airplay in New Zealand, getting known for singles such as Hey Son and Coming Back Home.
Their debut album, Keep On Pushing, was released in 2001 and was listed in Rip It Up magazine's Top 50 albums.
What comes next for the band is uncertain.
Weir said there were a couple of loose gigs after the tour and some attention would be paid to the next album.
"Hopefully (we'll be) doing a little bit of recording and maybe a bit of a break in November...We're working on a bit of stuff but it'll be a year away.
"If a band gets an album out every one or two years they're doing well," he said.
In the long term they would not rule out a move overseas, but currently they were happy in New Zealand.
"It's important to keep the band going and everyone happy. ..Keep doing what we do best."
An interesting aspect to the rise to fame has been watching how audiences have changed, Weir said.
"The Fans/friends ratio has changed. At the start it was girlfriends and friends who brought along their friends and that's different now, with more fans."
With regards to how New Zealand music is seen overseas, Weir said there were some big names like Che Fu and Bic Runga but, while we should celebrate such achievements, it was important to not be overly-patriotic.
- NZPA