Finn brothers resurface

It's been a sad couple of months for Tim and Neil Finn since their friend and former band mate Paul Hester died.

But now they're back on the road and they play five dates here in July and August.

Their latest album, Everyone Is Here, has been the brothers' - both together and as solo artists - most successful album in years. In New Zealand it has sold more than 50,000 copies, and overseas it debuted in the British top 10 and at No 2 in Australia.

The Finns have been on a world tour playing to more than 120,000 people so far. In March they postponed the tour after Hester's suicide.

They returned overseas this month for concert dates in Britain, Europe, Ireland and Australia before heading home in July.

Tickets for the New Zealand shows go on sale June 7. Finn Brothers (supported by the Phoenix Foundation) dates are the Dunedin Town Hall, July 28; Christchurch Town Hall, July 29; St James Theatre, Wellington, July 30; Founders Theatre, Hamilton, August 2; Civic Theatre, Auckland, August 3.

These dates follow the Finn Brothers' appearance at Australia's sold-out Splendour In the Grass festival in Byron Bay from July 26-27. Other Kiwi acts high on the festival bill are Shihad and Scribe who play alongside Queens of the Stone Age, Moby, Ryan Adams, Interpol, Bloc Party, and Mercury Rev. Let's hope some of these international acts - give or take Moby - find their way to New Zealand for concerts.

And speaking of Shihad, before Splendour the lads are touring here in July following the release of their new album, Love Is the New Hate.

The tour is a return to the days in the 90s when Shihad toured with unlikely support act Salmonella Dub. This time round it's reggae band Kora, noisy up-and-comers Die! Die! Die!, and Aussie band Cog on the lineup. It should be a goodie.

Shihad play Auckland's Powerstation (yep it's back) on July 7; Altitude, Hamilton, July 8; the Wellington Town Hall, July 9; the Union Hall, Dunedin, July 15; and the Christchurch Town Hall, July 16.

Meanwhile, the Phoenix Foundation head off on a nationwide tour to promote the release of their new album, Pegasus, which came in at No 10 on the charts this week.

The Phoenix Foundation dates are O'Flahertys, Napier, June 16; The Classic, Auckland (with special guests Cassette), June 17 & 18; Indigo Bar, Wellington, June 24; Refuel, Dunedin, July 13; Subculture, Queenstown, July 14; Shooters Bar, Wanaka, July 15; and Jet Set Lounge, Christchurch, July 16.

And lastly, get your face paint out because Illinois metallers Mudvayne play the Studio in Auckland on June 28 in support of their new album, Lost & Found.

Mudvayne last played here at the Big Day Out in 2001. The band didn't come to New Zealand on The End Of All Things To Come Tour and were flooded with emails and petitions from hardcore Kiwi fans. In recognition of that devotion, they scheduled us as one of the first countries on their world tour.