Rockabilly queen to tour

Rockabilly singer Wanda Jackson will tour NZ in June. Photo / Supplied

There are plenty of legends touring these days, but it's not often you get true legends like Wanda Jackson hitting the road.

And it's even rarer for a female music star of her standing to head to New Zealand.

The original Queen of Rockabilly plays Wellington's San Francisco Bath House on June 21 and the Kings Arms on June 22; it will be her first visit here since 1972.

This time the pioneering rock'n'roller and original 50s and 60s female rockabilly singer is on the verge of a career renaissance having recorded a new Jack White-produced album which is due out later this year.

Born in Oklahoma in 1937 and raised on country music, Jackson was turned on to rockabilly in the 50s by Elvis Presley, whom she toured with and briefly dated.

Her initial recordings emphasised her rockabilly side, and she recorded classic rock'n'roll tunes including Let's Have A Party and Fujiyama Mama.

By the mid-60s rockabilly was in decline and she shifted into country music and in the 70s also began recording gospel music. But her rockabilly fan base has always remained strong, and she has influenced everyone from Bob Dylan to the White Stripes.

Before White started recording Jackson's new album he called Dylan to ask him for recommendations on songs he thought she should sing on the record.

"He said a couple that were interesting. One of them was his song, Thunder on the Mountain. We tried it, and it was explosive," says White.

Tickets on sale now from undertheradar.co.nz, Real Groovy and Fast & Loose.

Also returning are British indie pop experimentalists Florence and the Machine who played Auckland's Laneway Festival in February. They are back this time as the main event playing the Trusts Stadium on July 29 off the back of their appearance at Australia's Splendour in the Grass festival at the end of July.

Fellow Splendour visitors Passion Pit also return for a show on July 30 at the Montecristo Room following the Boston act's riotous performance at this year's Big Day Out.

On the hip-hop tip smooth and poetic rapper Common makes his first visit to New Zealand for a one-off show at the Powerstation on June 16.

The Chicago native has released eight albums, the most notable being hip-hop classic Like Water For Chocolate (2000), the outrageous and experimental excellence of Electric Circus (2002). Latest album Universal Mind Control took a more bouncy pop bent. Tickets on sale now from Ticketmaster.

Meanwhile, Seattle-based alt-rockers Band of Horses play the Powerstation on August 3 in support of the band's new album Infinite Arms which came out this week.

Last time they were in New Zealand, in 2008, their one gig at the Kings Arms was a sell-out. Tickets for their show go on sale at Ticketmaster May 21.