Boy band not such a hot ticket this time

There were no queues, because the shows are 18 months away, but indications are British boy band One Direction's next Kiwi gigs will be popular, at least in Christchurch.

Tickets for two shows at Auckland's Vector Arena and one at the CBS Canterbury Arena in October next year were not selling as quickly as their recent concerts, which sold out in 10 minutes, when they went on sale yesterday.

But by the afternoon, the ticketing website indicated only a limited number were left for the Christchurch show, and group bookings were difficult to make.

One Direction played the much smaller Trusts Stadium in Waitakere this time around.

But Jono Pryor, drivetime host with radio station The Rock, reckoned the boys were being over-confident about their long-term appeal.

"We will be lucky if One Direction haven't gone in different directions by 2013," he said. "Eighteen months in a teenage girl's life is like five years in an adult's life and it is a long period of time for regret to set in. And Simon Cowell will probably have a new travelling, pubescent bank account by the time One Direction next come to New Zealand."

Local promoters of the Vector Arena shows said selling tickets so far in advance was unusual but ambitious.

"A year and a half is a long time in the music industry," a spokesperson said, "especially for teenage fans and 17-20 year old pop stars."