Last Great Sixties Tour

THE LAST GREAT ’60s TOUR

March & April 2013

Christchurch, Timaru, Nelson, Wellington, Hawkes Bay,
Palmerston North, New Plymouth, Hamilton, Tauranga, Auckland.

One concert, so many hits. Don’t miss it!

Iconic British performer, GERRY MARSDEN, has arrived Downunder to begin his final tour of the Antipodes with his band Gerry & The Pacemakers, joined by fellow UK supergroup The Searchers who are currently on their 50th Anniversary World Tour.

He embarks on a 16-city tour of Australia before heading to New Zealand for the very last tour, starting in Christchurch on March 27.

This will be New Zealander's’ very last chance to say goodbye to Gerry & The Pacemakers and to hear them perform all their hits including favourites such as How do you do it, I like it, Ferry cross the Mersey and You’ll never walk alone which has just been used as the anthem to a moving commemorative collection of photos taken in the aftermath of the Christchurch earthquake http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OHvYDPvObc

Audiences will enjoy a show that includes six No.1 hits and a further eight Top 10 hits by both groups plus much more – all in one spectacular concert. Christchurch will be the first to enjoy this rollicking good night out, followed by Timaru, Nelson, Wellington, the Hawkes Bay, Palmerston North, New Plymouth, Hamilton, Tauranga and Auckland.

Larrikin Gerry began his world adventures in the ‘60s when British beat groups took over the world stage and made their way to Germany where residencies were arranged through Allan Williams, a visionary Liverpool promoter. The first act to perform there were The Beatles who led the way for Gerry & The Pacemakers -- also managed by Brian Epstein.

Shortly afterwards they were followed by The Searchers who took up residency at The Star Club in Hamburg. where they performed every night for 128 days. There resilience was and still is remarkable as unlike today’s shows a club gig in Hamburg could be up to 7 hours.

Gerry & The Pacemakers were a major part of what history now calls ‘The 60’s British Invasion’ along with their friends the Beatles, with songs like How do you do it, I like it, Ferry cross the Mersey and You’ll never walk alone. These simple melodies were the soundtracks to a generation and are the reason why Gerry has achieved such longevity as a popular draw-card on stages worldwide today.

The Searchers were also a major group out of Liverpool who were part of the Mersey Sound. In 1963 they quickly established their own distinctive sound and dedicated following, with a 12 string lead guitar and harmonies which anticipated the sound of The Byrds. 'Sweets For My Sweet', 'Sugar & Spice' and 'Needles & Pins' were their three No. 1 hits, and their total world sales exceed over 30 million. The Searchers have continued to play their music throughout the world and are as popular as ever with audiences of all ages.

One show, so many hits. Don’t miss it.

50 years ago in 1959 Gerry Marsden formed the group with his brother, Fred, Les Chadwick and Arthur McMahon. They rivaled the Beatles early in their career, playing in the same areas of Hamburg, Germany and at the famed Cavern Club in Liverpool, England.

The band was the second to sign with Brian Epstein, who later signed them with Columbia Records (a sister label to The Beatles label Parlophone under EMI). They began recording in early 1963 with "How Do You Do It?", a song written by Mitch Murray that Adam Faith had turned down and one that The Beatles chose not to release (they did record the song but chose to release their own song "Please Please Me"). The song was produced by George Martin and became a number one hit in the UK, until being replaced at the top by "From Me to You", The Beatles' third single.

Gerry & The Pacemakers’ next two singles, Murray's "I Like It" and Rodgers and Hammerstein's "You'll Never Walk Alone", both also reached number one in the UK Singles Chart. Never before had the first three singles by a performer all reached the top spot (the feat would not be bettered until The Spice Girls did it in the 90’s). In the halcyon days of 1963 Gerry & The Pacemakers enjoyed the status of being one of Britain’s most popular bands and were on tour with The Beatles as well as topping bills in their own right. "You'll Never Walk Alone" had been a favourite of Gerry Marsden's since seeing Carousel growing up. It soon became the signature tune of Liverpool Football Club. To this day, the song remains a football anthem, there and elsewhere, a phenomenon due to Gerry Marsden, rather than its Broadway composers.

Despite this early success, Gerry & The Pacemakers never had another number one single in the UK. Gerry Marsden began writing most of their own songs, including "It's Gonna Be All Right", "I'm the One", and "Ferry Cross the Mersey", as well as their first and biggest U.S. hit, "Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying", which peaked at #4.

They also starred in an early 1965 film called Ferry Cross the Mersey (sometimes referred to as "Gerry & The Pacemakers' version of A Hard Day's Night"), for which Marsden wrote much of the soundtrack. The title song was revived in the 1980s as a charity single for a ferry disaster appeal, giving Gerry another British number one in association with other Liverpool stars, including Paul McCartney and Frankie Goes to Hollywood's Holly Johnson. Additionally You’ll never walk alone hit the No. 1 spot in the 1980s when rerecorded by Gerry and a celebrity ensemble to raise money for the Bradford Football Club’s stadium fire disaster.

Following the success of The Beatles and capitalising on the Mersey Sound, came The Searchers. In 1963 they quickly established their own distinctive sound and dedicated following, with a 12 string lead guitar and harmonies which anticipated the sound of The Byrds. 'Sweets For My Sweet', 'Sugar & Spice' and 'Needles & Pins' were their three number one hits, their total world sales exceed over 30 million. The Searchers have continued to play their music throughout the world and are as popular as ever with audiences of all ages.

TOUR DATES

CHRISTCHURCH

AURORA CENTRE March 27

Ticketek www.ticketek.co.nz 0800 TICKETEK
TIMARU
THEATRE ROYAL March 28

Ticketek www.ticketek.co.nz 0800 TICKETEK

NELSON

TRAFALGAR CENTRE March 30

Ticketek www.ticketek.co.nz 0800 TICKETEK

WELLINGTON
OPERA HOUSE March 31

Ticketek www.ticketek.co.nz 0800 TICKETEK

HASTINGS
HAWKES BAY OPERA HOUSE April 1

Ticketek www.ticketek.co.nz 0800 TICKETEK

PALMERSTON NORTH
REGENT ON BROADWAY April 3

Ticket Direct www.ticketdirect.co.nz

NEW PLYMOUTH
TSB THEATRE April 4

Ticketmaster www.ticketmaster.co.nz

HAMILTON
FOUNDERS THEATRE April 5

Ticketek www.ticketek.co.nz 0800 TICKETEK

TAURANGA
HOLY TRINITY CHURCH April 6

Ticketek www.ticketek.co.nz

AUCKLAND
BRUCE MASON CENTRE April 7

Ticketmaster www.ticketmaster.co.nz

ENDS

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