About 50 years after they began performing together, The Seekers will find themselves in Hamilton’s Claudelands Arena on November 28.
The near-original lineup of Australian folk pop supergroup – Judith Durham (vocals, piano and tambourine), Athol Guy (double bass and vocals), Keith Potger (12-string guitar, banjo and vocals) and Bruce Woodley (guitar, mandolin, banjo and vocals) – have reunited for the aptly-named Golden Jubilee Tour. The five-date New Zealand tour also takes in dates in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and New Plymouth and follows sold-out shows in Australia and the United Kingdom, including two concerts at the Royal Albert Hall in London.
The Seekers are the latest well-known act to make a date at the arena, and follow fellow 1960s musical luminary Bob Dylan and announcements that Ricky Martin and Kenny Rogers will play there in April and February respectively.
The quartet, famed for their distinctive four-part harmonies, have created a show intended to take their fans down memory lane.
As well as the group’s enduring songs, the concerts will feature stories, memorabilia, messages of congratulations from music industry contemporaries and video clips projected onto a big screen.
The group originally hailed from Melbourne – Woodley, Guy and Potger had all been pupils of Melbourne Boys’ High School.
Later, after stints in separate bands, they joined forces in 1962 and formed The Seekers, with Ken Ray as lead singer. When Ray got married and left the band, they recruited Judith Durham, 20, who sang traditional jazz standards and had recorded an EP.
Her powerful, bell-like voice added a new dimension to the group, and with the release of their album Introducing The Seekers in 1963, their swift rise to stardom began.
The Claudelands audience can expect to hear chart-topping hits such as I’ll Never Find Another You, A World Of Our Own, The Carnival Is Over, Morningtown Ride, Someday One Day and Georgy Girl.
Having now sold more than 60 million records globally, they were also the first group ever to reach the number one in the UK charts with their first three singles – a feat not even matched by the likes of Michael Jackson or Madonna. Durham, 71, suffered a brain haemorrage following a concert last year, but made a full recovery soon after.
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– Waikato Times
