Silverchair & Powderfinger Support Acts Announced

Silverchair & Powderfinger -- NZ support acts announced

With just three week to go before two of Australasia's hottest bands begin their three-city arena tour of New Zealand, promoters are delighted to announce that three of New Zealand's favourite acts will join Silverchair and Powderfinger along the way.

Band of the moment OPSHOP will revisit their Christchurch roots for the Westpac Arena gig on October 16, just two days before the New Zealand Music Awards for which they are nominated in seven categories -- the most nominated band this year. Their latest album, Second Hand Planet, and single, Maybe, are nominated as album and single of the year, and the band is also up for the people's choice award, best group, best rock album, best video and best engineering.

Wellington fans will be treated to AUTOZAMM and the finale concert in Auckland will be humongous with four bands on one billing as AUTOZAMM and ATLAS join the boys from across the Tasman.

"Put the two bands together, see them play in their homeland and it's obvious this is the Aussie rock mother lode,"
Tom Cardy, Dominion Post, Wellington

Fresh from being nominated for six Aria awards each and a month on the road with their ACROSS THE GREAT DIVIDE juggernaut of a tour, Silverchair and Powderfinger will deliver a rock experience on a scale unseen here for decades.

ACROSS THE GREAT DIVIDE kicks off at the Westpac Arena in Christchurch on October 16 and will continue through Wellington, culminating with a spectacular show at Auckland's Vector Arena on the Saturday of the Labour Day long weekend, October 20.

The tour is an opportunity for thousands of Kiwi fans to partake in what will be a huge event in every location it visits. For both bands, ACROSS THE GREAT DIVIDE marks a return to major touring following extended breaks.

"The bands left the punters with that warm concert after-glow that has to be experienced to be understood,"
Soulshine, Australia

In March, SILVERCHAIR released Young Modern, their first new studio album in five years. Young Modern went straight to the top of the Australian charts. It made SILVERCHAIR the first Australian band ever to achieve the feat of scoring five No. 1 albums in Australia and is the fastest selling release of the group's career. Young Modern features SILVERCHAIR's comeback single, "Straight Lines", which also topped the charts.

POWDERFINGER recently released their first studio album in four years, Dream Days at the Hotel Existence. It went straight to No. 1 in Australia and recorded the biggest first week sales of any artist so far this year, making it four consecutive chart-toppers for the 'Finger and no doubt setting Dream Days at the Hotel Existence on a path to match the multi-platinum status of its predecessors. POWDERFINGER's album sales exceed 2 million in Australia alone and their three previous releases (Internationalist, Odyssey Number Five and Vulture Street) each won the ARIA Album of the Year Award - a critical feat unmatched by any other Australian act.

Of course, POWDERFINGER and SILVERCHAIR's paths have briefly crossed a couple of times before. They have shared the bill at the odd rock festival over the years.

"We met the Silver chaps back in 1994 and became friends," say the members of POWDERFINGER. "At the time, we played some festivals together and talked about doing some touring down the track. It's only taken us 13 years to get around to it!"

The bands have formed a jointly-owned company which will act as the promoter for this special tour.

At each show, the groups will play sets of equal length with their full concert production. A special guest artist will open proceedings, then POWDERFINGER will perform followed by SILVERCHAIR.

WHEN & WHERE:

October 2007

16th Christchurch, Westpac Arena. Bookings: Ticketek www.ticketek.co.nz

18th Wellington, TSB Bank Arena. Ticketek www.ticketek.co.nz

20th Auckland, Vector Arena. Bookings: www.Ticketmaster.co.nz

ENDS

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