SUPERGROOVE
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The 'Low Down Dirty Blues Band' burst onto the Ponsonby music scene in the late '80s. The crusty old jammers of the period could scarcely believe these spotty teenagers pedalling heartache and tough times. These young ruffians consumed a steady diet of 'Muddy Waters' and 'Little Water' educating themselves on the sometimes dismal Auckland streets dressed as antipodean Blues Brothers.
On the last night of the decade they changed their name to 'Supergroove', a bombastic seven-piece band that rewrote New Zealand music history with wild gigs that saw band members swinging from lighting rigs amid a constant stream of stage diving. As the decade matured, the hits mounted up. By the time their debut long player 'Traction' came out in the winter of '94 the album contained six top ten singles. The album held the number one spot for four weeks and went on to become the highest selling local album of the time. The band toured the country incessantly with a typical day including an early start, a long drive, a full production school gig, a short set outside a local record store and then the ticketed gig later that evening. The hard-working ensemble loaded their own gear and poured sweat onto every stage. '95 saw the band tour 29 countries in 10 months, taking in Asia, Europe, South Africa and the USA. But the success and relentless touring took a toll on the young band and when they returned to New Zealand in '96 cracks were beginning to appear. Trumpeter Tim Stewart and lead singer Che Fu departed and the band struggled to record their follow-up to 'Traction'. When 'Backspacer' was released it debuted at number 2, spawned a couple of top ten singles and eventually went gold. The band broke up soon after. Che Fu went on to dominate the local music scene with a string of chart-toppers and a land-mark album 'The Navigator'. Karl Steven formed and then disbanded 'The Drab Doo-Riffs' and 'Heart Attack Alley' before his new act 'Queen Neptune' became a darling of the bnets. Meanwhile, the horn section launched a band of their own named 'Hopetoun Brown' who are growing more successful by the day. In 2007 Brent Eccles contacted each member of the band individually. It was just like the Blues Brothers all over again, with band members scattered around New Zealand and further afield. Somehow Eccles convinced the seven players who circled the globe back in the '90s to reform and the results have been brilliant! Supergroove have hit the road with Crowded House, King Kapisi, Disasteradio, headlined the mighty Civic Theatre and closed the Green Stage at the Big Day Out. They were also the stars of the 2015 Winery Tour. Their sets are legendarily barnstorming with new tracks peppered between unique live arrangements of all their hits. Their legacy has also been rubber-stamped with induction to the New Zealand Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2014 |
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