Bio

Knightshade is a New Zealand rock/hardrock group. They formed in Te Puke in 1982. The band based themselves in Hamilton in the mid-1980s when the line-up changed. The line-up then consisted of Wayne Elliott (vocals), Alan Grady (drums), Rik Bernards (guitar), Jon Bell (bass), Paul Martin (guitar). Paul left the band and Gavin Lind rejoined. This was the lineup that performed and recorded the majority of their work. Craig Pollock replaced Gavin Lind on guitar in 1991. They have had several top 20 singles and have supported major touring acts including Deep Purple, ZZ Top, Bon Jovi, Jimmy Barnes, The Angels, Iggy Pop and Guns 'N' Roses. They have also released several EPs, a live album and a ‘best of’ studio album in 1995. Knightshade are still based in Hamilton.

The band went their separate ways in 1997, but after a 14-year hiatus they reunited in 2010 and released a new single, Rough at the Top, a year later. On June 6, 2014, the band finally returned to the public stage and gave a long-anticipated gig in Hamilton at the Altitude, with several further gigs the same year. 2015 saw the band grow and plant their feet more firmly on the ground, with the help from their latest line-up, including; Scott Williams on drums, Neil McDonald on bass, and Kingsley Smith on Keyboards. Wayne, Rik, and Craig remained the core original members of the band as the KS machine gathered momentum from its Hamilton home base. Knightshade were invited to perform as part of the bill for the infamous Gemini party, hosted by Paul Martin, May 31, 2015. The headlining act was Devilskin with Medusa Glare also appearing on the same bill. The rest of 2015 saw the band working on new material and honing the new line-up. On November 6, 2015, they performed at the Mount, at the newly opened Totara Street venue. This was their first gig in the Bay area in almost 20 years. It was a kind of 'coming home' gig for Wayne and Rik, who originally came from the Bay of Plenty area. (Wayne from Te Puke and Rik from Whakatane). The gig was a great success and marked a new era for Knightshade with a tight new line-up.

Recording sessions started for the new material towards the end of 2015 and into 2016, but were stalled after Wayne returned for more chemo treatment. After 3 or 4 months of this, Wayne’s health temporarily returned and the band decided to announce one final gig, scheduled for 6th of August 2016. The band rehearsed for nearly 3 months, with Gael Ludlow joining them to add her legendary vocals for the song Out for the Count. By the time of the gig, the Altitude venue in Hamilton had sold out, with people coming from all over New Zealand for their last chance to experience the band live. Some fans even flew across the Tasman Sea to see the gig. It was a very special night with the band performing for over 2 hours. A camera crew filmed the concert and have been slowly editing the footage for a full length Live DVD. (hopefully due out at the end of 2017). At the same time, the band have been polishing their new single, U Say, due out 29th of October 2017. This is the first of 4 new songs to be released by Knightshade over the next few months.

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Band Members:
Wayne Elliott (vocals)
Rik Bernards (guitar)
Scott Williams (drums)
Craig Pollock (guitar)
Neil McDonald (bass)
Kingsley Smith (keyboards)

Links

• Facebook Page
• Youtube Page
• Instagram Page
• Spotify Page
• Apple Music Page