A Napier man is out to prove to international acts that there’s more to New Zealand than playing the main centres.
So, he’s bringing a band with a 25-year-old hit so big it’s still reverberating around multiple radio stations around the world to Hawke’s Bay.
Wheatus – the American rock band known for their 2000 song Teenage Dirtbag, chronicling a high school romance that everyone of a certain age will sing along to after a couple of drinks – are heading to Napier’s Paisley Stage for their 25-year anniversary tour on Thursday, January 29.
Concert organiser and managing director at Napier Music Academy Rob Franks said Wheatus were a band he’d always followed and when he saw they were playing Auckland and Wellington in 2026, he got in touch with the band’s booking agent.
“When bands of a smaller size or a larger size, when they come to New Zealand, it’s always Auckland and Wellington or just Auckland – maybe occasionally Christchurch.
“I thought it was a good opportunity to make bands realise there’s more, there are a lot of places in between Auckland and Wellington that they could play.
“There’s more to New Zealand than that.”
Franks had seen the band a few times while he was living in England and said gig-goers in Napier can expect a lot of audience interaction.
“They don’t write set lists, so it’s all up to the audience to ask them what to play next.
“They’re a fully live band, so they’re interacting with each other, they’re interacting with the audience, and they’ve got a lot of very fun, lively songs.”
However, despite the band’s large output of five studio albums, two live albums and 26 singles – Wheatus are really known for their one hit, Teenage Dirtbag.
But Franks said there was no need to worry about the band not playing their biggest hit in Napier.
“I don’t think they could do the gig without it.
“The people would ask them to play it anyway, but I don’t think that they wouldn’t even attempt not to play it.”
Franks has a simple suggestion for anyone keen to see Wheatus in Napier - get your tickets now before they sell out.
“Paisley Stage only holds about 200, so it’s going to be a nice, intimate, tight gig,” he said.
“So, get your tickets before they sell out because it will sell out.”
Opening for Wheatus is local band Yes Yes No, who Frost said will bring their own particular brand of obscure but fun covers.
Tickets for the show are available from Paisley Stage’s website.
Jack Riddell is a multimedia journalist with Hawke’s Bay Today and has worked in radio and media in the UK, Germany, and New Zealand.