Regarded by many as one of New Zealand's most talented and eccentric folk music groups, Der Kranks will kick off at the Hamilton Garden Arts Festival tonight.
With a floating line-up which has included many notable local musicians, the group has steadily grown in popularity, achieving something of an iconicstatus.
Appealing to fans of all ages and walks of life with their energetic and intense performances, Der Kranks play a refreshingly individual mixture of Balkan inspired frenzy, humour and heart melting lyricism. Many of the tunes have been written by violinist Justine Francis who also wrote much of the music for Slip of the Tongues' summer Shakespeare performances in recent years.
"I've mostly been influenced by the Kokatahi Band, Taraf de Haidouks and James Last. Consequently Der Kranks is great fun, possibly a bit crashy and manic in places. People do seem to like it," Justine says.
