Hot Water Music Returning to New Zealand in February

Last in Aotearoa all the way back in 2010, Floridian punk heavyweights Hot Water Music are at last returning to headline Tāmaki Makaurau's new Double Whammy and Pōneke's Valhalla, a pair of summer shows celebrating their 30th anniversary. Formed in 1994 and heroically still featuring all founding members — Chuck Ragan, Chris Wollard, Jason Black, George Rebelo and more recent recruit Chris Cresswell (of The Flatliners, who joined in 2017) — Hot Water Music have just lifted the lid on their tenth studio album VOWS, which unexpectedly for the group has achieved notable radio chart success in Germany.

Since their last visit fourteen years ago (read our chat at the time with bassist Black HERE), Hot Water Music have kept their feet firmly on the release pedal, unleashing 2012's Exister to rapt fan reception, 2017's Light It Up, 2022's Feel the Void plus a steady stream of live / B-sides collections, EPs and split records. Go get rowdy with Hot Water Music this February as we might not see them here again for a while, brought to you by SBM Presents...

"WE COULD NOT BE MORE STOKED to get back to Australia and New Zealand! Sorry for the all caps, but it's been 14 years since we've done any proper club shows down there, so we're really excited. We promise it won't be so long between this run and the next one." - Jason Black

Hot Water Music

Tuesday 11th February - Valhalla, Wellington
Wednesday 12th February - Double Whammy!, Auckland

Tickets on sale now via HERE via UTR 
(note: Australian supports The Flatliners are not playing Hot Water Music's NZ dates)

Smash play on 'Menace' from Hot Water Music's new album VOWS...

Here's their massive 'Drag My Body' from 2012's Exister...

Press release:

It has been an absolute age since Hot Water Music have played a headline show Down Under (since 2010, in fact), so it’s only fitting that the revered band are returning to celebrate their 30th anniversary with us.

Three decades and 10 albums in, Hot Water Music stands firmly as an enduring pillar of punk rock. Since ‘94, their pioneering sound has taken them from sweaty clubs in their hometown of Gainesville, Florida, to massive venues worldwide countless times over. Their big-hearted anthems, trusty chords and trademark scruffy vocals have soundtracked the lives of many, whilst continuing to have an undeniable influence on punk and hardcore at large.

When the band return in February, they’ll be playing all their treasured old faves from their extensive catalogue plus some new offerings from their latest album, VOWS, produced by their longtime collaborator Brian McTernan and featuring guests Brendan Yates and Daniel Fang (Turnstile) Thrice, Dallas Green (City and Colour / Alexisonfire), The Interrupters, and Popeye Vogelsang (Calling Hours / Farside).

Grab ya mates and get ready to get sweaty, it’s not often bands like this are in our backyard so nab your tix quick.