It's been 10 years since the inception of the Bleeders, are you still the same Bleeders that you were in 2002?
Sure are full original lineup doing the shows.
What is your favourite Bleeders track?
Mine is All That Glitters for sure.
What is your favourite NZ venue?
Probably The Powerstation.. always dreamed to play it growing up so was rad when we finally got the chance.
What is your favourite band?
For me it's AFI from the USA.. my fave band for a long time and the shows were amazing.
What is your favourite NZ band at the moment?
Probably Antagonist A.D I'd say.
What is the story behind The Village People picture?
It was a Cleo magazine feature that did all different NZ artists being styled as their heroes.. we thought we would get a bit silly with it!
What made you guys move to Toronto in 2009?
Just to concentrate on suing over that part of the world more and give stuff a crack..
Why the split?
Just felt the right time.. we weren't collectively happy living over there anymore so it felt like the right move to make.. all good things come to an end.
What prompted you to do this "final farewell tour" now after 3 years? Is this really the last goodbye?
Ahh cos we all live in this general part of the world again and I mean.. why not, reunions can be fun.. As for being the last goodbye.. I'd have to day it's very likely that's the case.. there are no plans to get the band back together.
What other side projects are The Bleeders band members in?
George has played with Wade from Gallows/Alexisonfire in a band called Black Lungs. Hadleigh plays in Cobra Khan and the rest of us are currently playing in a band called Leeches.
The Bleeders are about to embark on a three date reunion tour catch them at... Medusa, Wellington, 23rd November TSB Stadium, New Plymouth, 24th November Kings Arms Tavern, Auckland, 30th November.
Formed in 2002, it didn't take long for Auckland based Bleeders to take off. In their debut year they released the legendary hardcore punk NZ classic A Bleeding Heart EP. This was followed by constant sold out shows all over NZ. In 2004 the band was rewarded for their hard work and ever growing fan base by signing a record deal to Universal Music.
2006 was a huge year for the Bleeders. Their debut album, the anthemic power house that is Sweet As Sin, reached 2 in the charts, garnered them Best Breakthough Artist and Best Rock Album at the 2006 New Zealand Music Awards and went on to sell Gold. The band toured like maniacs in NZ and headed across the Tasman no less than five times at the invitation of everyone from Avenged Sevenfold and AFI to Aussie acts Gyroscope and Behind Crimson Eyes.
The self-titled follow up to Sweet As Sin rejects any notion of resting on laurels. Produced by Clint Murphy and the Bleeders at Auckland’s York Street Studios and mastered by Ted Jensen at Sterling Sound in New York, Bleeders was a return to the brutal vitality that first brought them to people’s attention.