Tour news: Hilltop Hoods, Aborted, Ben Howard, Bangs

Hilltop Hoods will play three New Zealand shows in June.

They are arguably Australia's biggest hip-hop stars, and Hilltop Hoods are heading across the Tasman.

The Adelaide trio will play shows in Auckland, Wellington and Queenstown in June.

With an ethos they describe as both innovative and fearless, their sound has been embraced beyond Hip Hop's loyal underground- they've toured everywhere from Switzerland to South Korea, appearing at such festivals as Glastonbury, Splendour In The Grass, Oxygen, Open Air Lumnezia and Splash, and they have supported Eminem.

Hilltop Hoods released Drinking From The Sun in 2012; it was their sixth studio album, and third consecutive number one. The album was certified gold on the day of release, and features members of The Roots and Jurassic 5.

The group will play at The Find in Queenstown on June 26, Auckland's The Platform on June 27 and at the San Francisco Bath House on June 28. Tickets for the shows will go on sale on May 1 from www.dashtickets.co.nz.

Also playing multiple New Zealand shows are Aborted. The band which started in 1995 will bring their eighth album The Necrotic Manifesto to town for three shows in June.

Founding member and vocalist Sven "Svencho" de Caluwé reveals that conceptually, "the album is our own take on the sordid tales of the Necronomicon, the 'book of the dead'; of a corpse drowned in a tepid sauce made of gore and fun, covered with a good old 80's slasher vibe".

The death-metal experts will play R18 shows at Valhalla in Wellington on June 24, Chruchills in Christchurch on June 25 and Auckland's Kings Arms on June 26. Tickets are on sale from www.undertheradar.co.nz.

On a lightly sweeter note, Devonshire troubadour Ben Howard will play his first New Zealand show in August. He may have started out as the surfing communities favourite, but Howard's debut album Every Kingdom has won him fans on dry land as well.

Two Brit Awards, a nomination for the prestigious Ivor Novello Award for songwriting and shows at the likes of Glastonbury later, and Howard's Auckland show should be something special.

Howard will play at The Studio in Auckland on August 2. Tickets go on sale from May 1 from www.ticketek.co.nz.

And finally, if you were thinking of catching internet sensation Bangs while he was in New Zealand next week, you are almost out of luck. The self-made YouTube rapper, who has had viral hits like Take You To Da Movies and Follow Me On Instagram has sold out his Auckland show at Lucha Lounge on May 7.

Tickets are still available for his Wellington show on May 8 at Puppies.

- nzherald.co.nz