Rejuvenated 1814 ready to roll again

1814's Patu Colbert with Missy Hale and Janina Khan from Kalah Bar. Photo / Ben Fraser

It's been almost four months since they've performed together, but after a much-needed break, award-winning reggae group 1814 can't wait to hit the stage again.

And they'll do so at Ngongotaha's Kalah Bar on Saturday - the first performance before they hit the road for two months touring of New Zealand and Australia.

Band member Patu Colbert said the break was the first in the eight years since he set up the band.

"We'd been on the road for eight years. We really needed to have that break. It was a long time coming."

He promised the show would include some fresh material as well as the old favourites that people kept requesting concert after concert.

"We're always asked to play the hits of our first album."

Originally from Northland, Colbert was brought up in Ngongotaha and has a "real affinity to the place".

He said he loved performing at Ngongotaha.

Colbert said the band has added some new members recently to bring them to a nine-strong stage group

The band released their third album, Relax, a year ago and Colbert said a focus now was to work on singles ahead of their next album.

1814 also features local singers Neihana Mackey-Harrison and Kalani Marsters.

1814's debut album Jah Rydem reached No1 on the New Zealand indie charts and its song Jah Rastafari reached gold status in digital downloads. The band also received awards in 2010 and 2011 at the Waiata Maori Music Awards.

Tickets to 1814's concert are available from Kalah Bar or online at eventfinda.co.nz.