Pearl Jam return

Pearl Jam. Photo / Supplied by Sony BMG

Bent and twisted British geezers Gomez are returning to New Zealand on a tour celebrating the release of their latest album, A New Tide.

They play three dates around the country including the Powerstation in Auckland on Oct 18.

American metallers Lamb of God, whose latest album Wrath is shaping up to be one of the metal albums of the year, also return to New Zealand for a show at the Auckland Town Hall on Dec 6.

Meanwhile, Pearl Jam are heading back here for the first time in more than a decade to play Mt Smart Stadium on Nov 27, and Christchurch on Nov 29, as part of a tour to celebrate the release of ninth album, Backspacer, which is out mid-September. Last time they were here they played to 20,000 people at the Ericsson Stadium in February 1998.

It makes a nice change that New Zealand gets a big band near the beginning of its world tour instead of the tail end - maybe it has something to do with local lad Liam Finn being one of the support bands along with Ben Harper and the Relentless 7?

And the first line-up announcement for Gisborne New Year festival Rhythm and Vines has been announced with Australian up-starts Empire of the Sun headlining, as well as dynamic American-British duo Major Lazer (see review of new album page 18), New Yorkers LCD Soundsystem doing a DJ set, and local acts Midnight Youth, State of Mind, Kora, and P Money.