IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT Southern Amp has been postponed!http://www.muzic.net.nz/discussion.php?forum=9&thread=42764

UPDATE The South Island's annual music festival Southern Amp has today launched a major support initiative through OXFAM New Zealand towards the SAMOA TSUNAMI APPEAL.

The festival event in to be held Christchurch on 12th November will now become an Official Aid Benefit Concert to raise and donate much needed relief funds to the hundreds of families who have lost loved ones, lost their homes and lost entire villages and communities as a result of the devastating Tsunami that struck the peaceful islands last week.

Proceeds from the sale of ALL tickets to Southern Amp 09 will be donated via Oxfam directly to the Samoa Tsunami Appeal program to assist in rebuilding lives, homes and communities in the devastated areas of the Samoan Islands.

Christchurch will once again stage the South Island's biggest multi-stage festival when Southern Amp 09 kicks into life on Thursday 12th November from 4.30pm til midnight at Westpac Arena in Addington.  Amp-fans will not have to freak out about work or Uni the next day either with Friday 13th November being a holiday and the start of the Canterbury long weekend!  This year’s Southern Amp will feature 2 massive main stages standing side-by-side along one side of the Arena pumping out continuous live vibes.  Main Stages AMP-A and AMP-B will give a much wider view, a much more 'closer to the action' overall experience, but most importantly NON-STOP LIVE MUSIC, as soon as A ends, B will burst into life.  There will also be a 3rd stage featuring some of our best local bands & DJs + the usual outdoor area for bars, food stalls etc.  With a maximum of just 5000 tickets being put on sale this year we expect these tickets to be snapped up quickly.

Joining the eclectic mix on Southern Amp this year are:

BUZZCOCKS are still playing loud & fast, like guys half their age! The South Island will be treated to UK pop-punk heroes on their first Mainland visit at Southern Amp since they formed in the heady punk days of 1978 and created a thousand imitators world-over. With a breakneck set featuring punk classics 'Boredom', 'Ever Fallen in Love', 'I Don't Mind', ‘Orgasm Addict’ and plenty more their wild stage gyrations, arm swinging and fast guitars will leave the crowd exhausted and charged! 
(Website – www.buzzcocks.com  | Myspace – www.myspace.com/buzzcocksofficial )

KORA are without doubt one of NZ most exciting live bands of the past 5 years.  A combo of “heavy-metal-dub-funk-blues,” they are known for delivering blistering live sets that send their thousands of fans in NZ, Australia and beyond absolutely wild.  After a recent sell-out South Island mini-tour in July, Kora are back in Christchurch performing for the first time on the Southern Amp Festival in their ONLY South Island live performance of the 2009/2010 summer.  
(Website – www.kora.co.nz  | Myspace – www.myspace.com/koraroots )

SALMONELLA DUB have been exciting thousands of grooving fans with their infectious live performances on countless tours and major festivals around the world since 1994.  They are without doubt one of NZ’s most influential  Dub/Reggae & Roots acts of all time.  With a brand new EP ‘Freak Local’ just released and new Album due in early November, they play Southern Amp for the first time ever as part of their 2009 summer NZ circuit after returning from their 30^th tour of Australia. 
(Website – www.salmonelladub.com  | Myspace – www.myspace.com/officialsalmonelladub )

MIDNIGHT YOUTH have come of age in 2009! Nominated for a host of NZ Music Awards and APRA Silver Scroll, they are unquestionably the major breakthrough band of the year. Their debut album ‘The Brave Don’t Run’ is a lesson in epic, radio-friendly anthemic rock songs with choruses that stick in your head for weeks. Live they deliver as well and are on their first Australian tour with festival appearances lined up throughout the summer in NZ adding to their rapidly growing fanbase on both sides of the Tasman.
(Website - www.midnightyouth.com  | Myspace - www.myspace.com/midnightyouth )

GRINSPOON have been a music festival favourite and a mainstay on the Australian music scene for close on 15 years.  Led by controversial frontman Phil Jamieson, they have built a massive following through endless touring and thumping rock shows.  After 18 months recording their new album ‘Six To Midnight’ the band head back on the road to showcase the new album and of course, belt out some GS classics.
(Website – www.grinspoon.com.au  | Myspace – www.myspace.com/grinspoon )

THE VEILS return to Southern Amp after touring the globe twice over since their last appearance in 2007.  With their 3rd superb album ‘Sun Gangs’ released this year, the UK-via-New Zealand quartet and their striking frontman Finn Andrews are the best kind of live-set theatre around and every live set seems fraught with unanticipated intimate danger!  A terrifyingly brilliant live act not to be missed.
(Website – www.theveils.com  | Myspace – www.myspace.com/theveils )

MAMMAL from Melbourne are like a power generator on overload!  They have so much energy in their playing and live shows that you cannot help but get swept up in it.  With a mix of influences from Rollins to Rage Against The Machine filtering through their visceral, chaotic, bass-led sound, Mammal visit the south for the first time at Southern Amp after their first headline tour to UK has brought rave reviews.
(Website - www.mammaltheband.com | Myspace - www.myspace.com/mammaltheband)

AN EMERALD CITY NZ’s Psychedelic explorers return home after an eventful summer in Europe to bring their explosive and unique live show to Southern Amp.  2009 marked the release of their debut album ‘Circa Scaria’ recorded in an isolated west coast cave.  They’ve since been based in Berlin touring Europe and creating wondrous new sounds.
(Website – www.anemeraldcity.blogspot.com | Myspace – www.myspace.com/anemeraldcity)

THE BATS with the same line-up since 1983, have been playing their distinctive style of melodic infused pop folk/rock for long enough to have drifted in and out of fashion several times without even trying. They top the Best Unknown Band list of many music officianados around the world .. Back in NZ after sell-out shows on their Guilty Office CD release tour in UK, Europe and Australia, The Bats are very pleased to be sharing the bill with their long time favourites, the Buzzcocks, at Southern Amp.
(Website - www.thebats.co.nz | Myspace - www.myspace.com/thebatsnz )

TICKETS

EARLYBIRD TICKETS are now on sale until 7 October 2009 at the CRAZY RECESSION-BUSTING 15% LOWER THAN 2008 price of just $69.50 + booking fee from TICKETEK and REAL GROOVY.  This general admission allocation will be strictly limited at this price and will be available for a limited period only unless sold out before.

Post Earlybird: GA ticket prices will be $89.50 + bkg fees, STILL a massive 20% lower than last year's GA adult price.  There will again be reserved premium seating tickets facing straight onto the double main stages priced at $99.50.

This year Southern Amp 09 will be R15 restricted, ID will be required on purchase.

Southern Amp Announces Exclusive Auckland Side-Shows!

The South Island's favourite multi-stage festival Southern Amp takes a road trip to the North this year with the announcement of a series of exclusive and very limited capacity side-shows in Auckland featuring the various international visitors and some of our own local acts from the Southern Amp 09 bill.

The Christchurch festival being held on Thursday 12th November at Westpac Arena is already on sale with the solid uptake of earlybird tickets from just $69.50 still going strong. 

The original R18 restriction on the Christchurch festival has been changed to R15 as in all previous years. Apologies for the confusion to all you 15-nearly 18 year old music fans and Earlybird tix will still be on offer as a result until October 7th.

But in the spirit of all good festivals, Southern Amp are giving a very limited number of Auckland fans who can’t make the trip down to the South Island the chance to catch the main acts in their own town as SAmp 09 makes its first small steps North.  The first two Southern Amp 09 side-shows off the rank will both be held at the newly refurbished and recently re-opened Studio venue on Auckland’s K’Road, details as follows:

Grinspoon, Mammal and The Earlybirds – Friday 13th November @ 7.30pm
Tickets $57.50 (+ bkg fee) from www.eventfinder.co.nz & Real Groovy Queen Street / R18 restricted

Buzzcocks + Guests – Saturday 14th November @ 8.00pm
Tickets $79.50 (+bkg fee) from www.eventfinder.co.nz & Real Groovy Queen Street / R18 restricted

TICKETS FOR BOTH THESE SHOWS GO ON SALE WEDNESDAY 30th SEPTEMBER 9.00AM

Visit www.southernamp.co.nz for more information.