KEY POINTS:
Thirteen years ago, Auckland teenagers Marcus Powell and Shelton Woolright, fresh from watching Rage Against The Machine at the Big Day Out, sat at a bus stop, drunk.
The friends decided then that they could, and would, do better than the performance they had just seen.
From that inebriated epiphany, three years later, Blindspott was formed.
The band has since climbed to the top of New Zealand's hard rock scene with two number one albums, some popular singles, and many tours.
Blindspott toured overseas and became hugely popular in southeast Asia.
With a 2001 breakthrough single, Nil By Mouth, Blindspott's self-titled debut album in 2002 reached number one in its first week of release in New Zealand and went platinum .
Their second album, End the Silence, was released last year and went straight to number one, breaking New Zealand music records by being the country's first music act to have both their albums debut at the top of the charts.
From the outset, Blindspott's goals were always big.
"We've always seen ourselves as big crowd-pulling band, we've always had big goals but when we started it we just played for a box of beers out the backyard," Powell says.
Given their success and popularity, the announcement in June that the band - of guitarist Powell, drummer, Woolright on drums, vocalist Damian Alexander and bassist Dave McDermott - were breaking up caught many off-guard.
Powell says he will definitely miss Blindspott but the decision to split was understandable.
"I would love it to continue, Blindspott has been offered these huge deals overseas and they've pretty much said 'relocate or we can't do it for you', and not everyone could commit to that, so it's pretty much why we're doing this."
Powell and Woolright have started a new band, Dempsey - after boxing world heavyweight champion Jack Dempsey - and are heading to London after the tour to make the most of the opportunities which Blindspott could not.
A Blindspott reunion is unlikely, he says.
"Everything might crash and burn in the UK and we might just end up back here."
Powell says the split is "a bit awkward" and there were many reasons for not staying together but the band members are on good terms.
"We're putting all the business things aside and saying we're still mates and we've got to look past all that.
"There were so many arguments and stuff we just had to separate the business from the friendship."
For now Powell and the band are focusing on the farewell tour, which they promise will give fans what they want to hear. "I'm looking forward to the tour just to say thanks to all the fans.
"That's my passion, I love playing music, I love playing live, so I can't wait to get back on the road again. It's been ages since we've done a nationwide tour."
Fans can expect a lot of favourites in the hour and a half-long concert, including possible guest appearances from Scribe and former member Brandon Reihana, he says.
"The loyalty our fans show is so strong, eh. The old fans who came to our first shows are like us, they came to our shows to let loose."
But the fans have also grown up.
"I've seen few fans who are regulars and they say they're manager of this blah blah blah business, it's like okay, so you're not working part-time on the booze anymore?"
Powell says he is nervously waiting for his two-year working visa to come through and is busy selling his belongings and saying goodbye to friends and family.
"I've never been to the UK - don't know what to expect - just got my mates over there who are saying 'hurry up come over, it's a bigger market'."
Powell says prospects look good for Dempsey, with contacts made with managers for English singer Lily Allen and the Prodigy, thanks to Blindspott.
Fans not yet ready to leave their fix of Blindspott behind shouldn't worry too much, as Dempsey is promising similar sounds.
"Our bass player, who is already over there, was the guy who produced our first album so it's pretty much the same Blindspott sound - just a different lead singer."
Powell says they are hoping to find someone who has a "really strong R&B type voice".
Blindspott's musical style evolved over the years, particularly through their second album.
"Our producers, who came over from Sweden, taught us so much, they really got us focused on what a good sound is and what to go for and to open your mind up to more types of music that you would normally listen to."
Powell says he has incorporated a lot more music and more styles into his playing as a result.
"I'm still thrashing my metal, my iPod's full of everything, you can't really listen to one genre, you've got to listen to everything."
Powell's favourite Blindspott song to perform is Ilah.
"Just because it's so mashed up with dreamy parts and then heavy, I just like the dynamics of it, it's quite easy to get carried away on stage I guess."
With the light dimming on Blindspott, Powell and Woolright are ready to take their contacts and lessons learnt from being in the public eye and put it to test in a much bigger pond.
Woolright was no stranger to publicity, especially when dating Nicky Watson.
"At the time we were writing the album so we hardly ever saw him, but in saying that it still helped to get our name out there, so it had its pros and cons."
Woolright was also arrested, two years ago, for tagging a wall in Auckland, but escaped a conviction after his lawyer argued that a police record could prevent him from going overseas.
Powell says the band has grown a lot but he and Woolright won't necessarily avoid the British tabloids.
"Any press is good press."
- NZPA
Performance
* Who: Blindspott Farewell Tour
* When & where: Colosseum Bar, Tauranga, Aug 22; Altitude, Hamilton, Aug 23; Stampede Bar, Papakura, Aug 24; Powerstation, Auckland, Aug 25 (all ages and licensed show)
