ENTERTAINMENT
it was just like riding a bike. “There was
the odd bit but generally it all came back
quite quickly. “Playing altogether in the
same room brought that stellar* sound
back that is so unique to the four of us.”
Performing is a part-time gig for each
of the members who are all busy with
individual pursuits.
Boh Runga has her own successful
jewellery line, which was brought to
international attention recently after
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, was
spotted wearing some during the New
Zealand royal visit.
Andrew Maclaren and Chris van de
Geer are music producers and Kurt is a
concert promoter. With busy lives, the
group made a conscious decision to only
take up opportunities they liked the
sound of, in places they enjoy visiting.
While Kurt has visited Marlborough
often, the band have not yet played in
the region.
“Marlborough Wine and Food Festival
definitely fits the bill, we are really
looking forward to checking it out,
catching up with friends and enjoying a
fantastic wine holiday!”, says Kurt.
45
favourite songs, but the band are not
reliant on the nostalgia of their fans.
“One of the really cool things about
touring again is bringing all our songs
back and finding they are still relevant
and relatable today,” he says. “It’s
been awesome to see the reactions of
people, and amazing the amount of
people singing along, I guess they still
get played on the radio a lot, so they’ve
never really gone away.”
Theatre
Marlborough
The Marlborough Wine and Food
Festival is returning again to its stunning
venue among the vines in the Brancott
Vineyard near Blenheim on 9 February
2019. With dozens of wineries and food
stalls on site, expect a fantastic day
experiencing some of the region’s best
wine and food, and cutting loose on the
grass to one of a number of incredible
bands and musicians.
For all the festival information and to
buy your tickets check out the website
www.marlboroughwinefestival.co.nz.
And keep up to date with exciting news,
band announcements and giveaways:
Facebook: @marlboroughwinefestival
Instagram: @marlboroughfest
Twitter: @MarlboroughFest
Old school fans of stellar* will be stoked
to hear a great line up with all their
A Stellar
Headliner
STORY BY KAT PICKFORD
Twenty years after releasing
their award winning first
album Mix, Kiwi electronic
rock band stellar* are
bringing their signature
sound to the 2019
Marlborough Wine and
Food Festival on 9 February.
Festival revellers will be able to dance
and sing their hearts out to a super set
of stellar*’s greatest hits performed by
singer/guitarist Boh Runga, drummer
Andrew Maclaren, bassist Kurt Shanks
and guitarist Chris van de Geer.
stellar* was one of the greatest bands
in New Zealand in the nineties and
noughties, releasing three albums and
winning eight NZ Music Awards together
before disbanding in 2010.
Speaking from Auckland, bassist Kurt
Shanks says the band’s success came at
a golden period of New Zealand music.
“There was a lot of really great music
around that was getting a lot of airtime
on radio and television,” Kurt says. “It
was a perfect storm of strong radio
support, record companies on the
lookout for promising artists, music-
dedicated tv channels and the birth
of [the independent New Zealand
broadcast funding agency] NZ on Air.”
Fast forward almost 20 years and people
in their 30s and 40s will no doubt
remember the lineup of New Zealand
rock bands gigging at that time. Along
with stellar* there was Shihad, Elemeno
P, Supergroove, The Feelers, Evermore,
Head Like A Hole - the list goes on.
The runaway success of their first
album, which included hits Violent,
What You Do, Undone, Every Girl, and
Part of Me was backed up with two
more hit records Magic Line in 2001
and Something Like Strangers in 2006.
stellar*’s statistics are impressive: seven
Top 20 singles, three top 10 albums
(including two at No. 1), more than
100,000 units sold and eight NZ Music
Awards. But for Kurt, touring Australia,
Germany and the UK and the consistent
high standard of music across their
three albums are personal highlights.
“I am really proud of the recording of
our three studio albums - each of them
very different, but really strong with
lots of hits,” he says. “We took our time
and worked really hard, the awards are
just a night of fun really - music is not a
competition.”
stellar* disbanded in 2006 to pursue
individual endeavours. It wasn’t until
they appeared at the 2017 New Zealand
Music Awards, performing a cover of
Maxine as a tribute to legendary Kiwi
singer songwriter Sharon O’Neill, that
they seriously considered a reunion.
“That process of getting together, joking
around like we used to reminded us how
much fun it was,” he says. “We were all
available and all keen, so we decided to
go for it.”
More than a decade later, the music
flowed like they’d never stopped
playing, he says. “It’s such a cliche, but
stellar* was
one of the
greatest bands
in New Zealand
in the nineties
and noughties
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