PlasticGroove HQ in association with Lifeline Aotearoa present a fantastic line-up of Alternative Rock bands to raise awareness and funds for suicide prevention.

On Saturday 17th October at Neck of The Woods, Auckland we have Animalhead, Voodoo Bloo and Skinny Hobos.

On Saturday 28th November at MEOW, Wellington we have Curlys Jewels, Voodoo Bloo and Miss June.

Purpose - Rory McDonald from Voodoo Bloo wanted to raise awareness and funding for Lifeline and will achieve this by performing charity gigs.

In July 2019 Rory’s friend took his own life and this affected Rory, his friends and family and everyone else in contact with them. Rory has made it his mission to do what he can to raise awareness for suicide prevention and build a community where people look out for each other and know they're not alone.

Rory himself has suffered with mental illness and has found ways with his music to overcome so difficult periods in his life. Please come along and support, so that we can all get together and help stop this from happening to anyone else.

In conversation with Lifeline’s Clinical Manager, Renee Mathews, Rory commented: "New Zealand currently has one of the highest teen suicide rates in the world. So no matter where our music ends up, I think this could be a very relatable event for anyone going through things like depression or anxiety. My hope is that in that relatability they can use this as their own cathartic tool too."

With reference to his support for Lifeline, Rory added "I’m showing support musically and I’m also doing some hard work behind it as well to just give back to the community and really get behind something I’m passionate about".

Clinical Manager, Renee Mathews added "I think it’s really important what Rory’s doing, especially for other young men out there, seeing the sort of positive choices they can make to stay well and get through experiences like this."

Renee continued "Music can really pull you out of the depths. And it’s OK to ask for help. There’s no shame in it. All of us have times when it’s hard and we’re lonely and we feel sad and desperate. It’s courageous to express yourself creatively and if it’s getting too much you can always reach out by talking or texting."

The line-up:

Miss June

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Miss June is what happens when angst matures. Raised in the embers of punk rock, Miss June harness jagged, noisy guitars filtered through the unrivalled stage presence of front person Annabel Liddell, unafraid, unapologetic and ready to wake up the music scene.

Described as “quite possibly the best band in the country at the moment” by New Zealand’s 13th Floor, Miss June have built a reputation for fierce, formidable and head-spinning live shows, which have caught the attention of acts like The Foo Fighters, Shellac, Wolf Alice, Idles and Die! Die! Die! who have all eagerly harnessed their support on stage.

Skinny Hobos

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Vodafone New Zealand Music Award nominated artist Skinny Hobos are a 2-piece Alternative Rock band from Auckland, New Zealand whose immense sound needs to be witnessed to be believed.

Alex Elvis (guitar) and Texas Holdom (drums) have quickly earned a reputation as one of New Zealand’s hardest working bands.

After national tours with Devilskin, Villainy and I Am Giant, support for international acts Wolfmother, Seether, Biffy Clyro, Living Colour and many more, four of their very own slots at Jim Beam Homegrown Festival and a recent headlining slot at Christchurch's legendary Groovefest 2019, it’s safe to say that Skinny Hobos are set to continue to make New Zealand their bitch.

Voodoo Bloo

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Voodoo Bloo is a powerful indie-rock driven project, led by Rory McDonald. The sound is influenced by harder hitting acts such as Marilyn Manson and System of a Down, as well as some singer-songwriter artists such as Car Seat Headrest and Neutral Milk Hotel. This brings a great blend of emotional and conceptual songwriting with a very catchy and frequently danceable distorted mess.

Curlys Jewels

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Curlys Jewels are a rock band from Wellington. Their sound has been described as grungy yet powerfully emotive, pinned together with soaring vocals, dark guitar undertones and a punching rhythm section.

The band has released a number of records including their latest single Absentee released in 2019. This track peaked at #16 on the Official NZ Top 40 Hot Singles Chart, debuted on The Rock radio station’s 1500 Countdown, and hit playlists across NZ’s major independent rock stations.

Curlys Jewels have supported several heavy weight New Zealand bands such as Villainy, Head Like a Hole, Devilskin and they have also toured with The Feelers. They also supported international rock stars Living Colour.

Animalhead

Hailing from West Auckland. Bringing the Rock N Roll of days gone by, they aim to melt your face with walls of bass, huge drums and crushing riffs.

17 October @ Neck of the Woods, Auckland
with Voodoo Bloo, Animalhead and Skinny Hobos
Tickets available from Under The Radar

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28 November @ Meow, Wellington
with Voodoo Bloo, Curlys Jewels and Miss June
Tickets available from Moshtix

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