KEY POINTS:
The Pixies are not coming. But Gnarls Barkley, the Pet Shop Boys, Groove Armada and the New York Dolls will be here.
They're all playing Australia's V Festival at the end of March. It's headlined by the Pixies, but unfortunately the indie rock greats won't be coming to New Zealand.
But the others are stopping in Auckland before the festival for four big nights at the St James. Gnarls will also have special guests The Rapture in tow for their show on March 28.
The shows add to what is already a busy live-music schedule, including Fall Out Boy on Monday, the Mars Volta, the Clean, and Rockstar Supernova later next month and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Gomez and Slayer in April.
First up at the St James are punk rockers the New York Dolls on March 24. Original band members David Johansen and Sylvain Sylvain have reunited and tour New Zealand for the first time since forming back in 1971.
On March 27, Groove Armada return to New Zealand with a live band, and the following night it's favourite freak show Gnarls Barkley - made up of Atlanta singer/rapper Cee-Lo and Baltimore DJ/producer Danger Mouse. They're best known for the single, Crazy, and the million-selling album St. Elsewhere. The Pet Shop Boys perform here for the first time on March 29. Singer Neil Tennant and keyboardist Chris Lowe formed the Pet Shop Boys in London in 1981, and when your first single is a stunner like West End Girls, you know you're going to be big.
Iconic 70s New Zealand band Dragon are back together for a tour with new lead singer Mark Williams. They play Sky City, Auckland, April 20 and 21; Founders Theatre, Hamilton, April 22; Bay Court, Tauranga, April 23.
Speaking of Dragons, flamboyant and flowery power-metallers Dragonforce play the Powerstation on May 17.
On a completely different note, jazz great Herbie Hancock is heading this way for concerts on May 5 at Wellington's Michael Fowler Centre and May 6 at the ASB Theatre in Auckland.
The legendary keyboardist and composer will perform tracks from the 60s and his psychedelic 70s jazz phase, right through to now.
Speaking of legends, Bonnie Raitt can't be far off that status. She plays the Aotea Centre on April 14.
On the same night, Stockholm heavy rockers Blindside sock it to the Kings Arms in Auckland.
Singer/songwriter Lloyd Cole plays the Transmission Room on April 13.
