Channel Music profile: Rock Band - Luger Boa
Double Strength Tour and New Hot Nights
Two Shore rockers hit the road this month to take their big riffs and rock ‘n’ roll, up close and personal to the rest of the country – on the Double Strength Tour of New Zealand.
The aptly named Tour is made up of Kiwi powerhouse bands, Luger Boa and Channel favourite, Black River Drive. They are teaming up – doubling up – as two of New Zealand’s most popular rock bands at the moment, in a nationwide tour that kick starts right here on the Shore.
Channel readers will be familiar with Sam Browne and the Black River Drive boys after our feature a couple of months ago, and chances are good that you’ve heard, or at least heard of, former D4 frontman, Jimmy Christmas’ Luger Boa.
Jimmy first came to the national conscience over a decade ago when his band, rock and roll punks, The D4, become the original “rock and roll mother f***ers”. They went on to achieve a huge cult following both here and abroad, breaking into the UK and US markets to critical acclaim.
While there is still a definite punk attitude, Luger Boa is an entirely different beast to The D4, who called it a day in 2006. This left Jimmy with an opportunity to expand his song writing skills beyond the D4’s scope and into a more melodic, elaborate sound, incorporating harmonies, swagger and of course, those big rock guitars.
Initially Jimmy entered the studio by himself in 2008 and started recording what went on to become Luger Boa’s first album, Mutate or Die – with just a few friends coming in to help him out, playing some parts.
“What started as a solo recording project, I ended up putting a band around and that’s what eventually became Luger Boa,” says Jimmy.
Mutate or Die became a critical success and spawned the hit singles, ‘What Is Real?’, ‘I Wanna Girlfriend’ and the Rock radio single of the Year, ‘On My Mind’.
During this time – the band toured and changed the line up, with some of New Zealand’s top musicians going through the ranks. They solidified about 18 months ago with the Luger Boa as we know it today: Jimmy Christmas - Vox/Guitar, Sam Lockley - Guitar, Simon Nicholls - Bass, Joe Mac - Drums and Johnny Lyon - Guitar.
Now there’s a new album out, New Hot Nights, and a tour to support it. This time the album’s generating an even more enthusiastic response. It’s more mature; it’s the natural progression for a band who is now working closer together and has evolved.
Of course it’s still Jimmy’s vehicle and he writes the majority of the songs, but it has made a difference going in to record the album together this time, as a band. They’ve all been playing together for a while now and know each other, which has shone through in the recording process, giving each player the freedom to express themselves as musicians within the songs.
“It’s quite different from the first record which was really intense,” says Jimmy. “This record has its moments of intensity but it has its moments where it’s a bit more retrospective or comfortable. There’s quite a lot of movement in sound across the record and it leaves the door open, it doesn’t pigeon hole Luger Boa into one place.”
And the response from fans and the industry has been huge.
“The album’s been great! They’ve been smashing it on the radio and we’re looking forward to getting all the new tunes out on the road and seeing the reaction from the fans.”
Experience it for yourself on The Double Strength Tour with Luger Boa and Black River Drive.
August 5th - North Shore - Brownzy
Sept 2nd - Auckland - Kings Arms
Tickets available from www.eventfinder.co.nz and the venues
All shows GA R18
