Tour news: Pharcyde, Fear Factory, Justin Bieber, Ben Harper

Rap group Pharcyde will perform four New Zealand tour dates in August. Photo / Supplied

Rap legends Pharcyde are coming to New Zealand for the first time - and they'll be playing shows around the country.

The Los Angeles-based hip-hop icons, who hit it big alongside other '90s acts like Tribe Called Quest and De La Soul, will be performing four shows in August.

The Passing Me By hitmakers will perform on August 16 at Mint Bar in Wanaka, August 17 at San Francisco Bath House in Wellington, August 18 at The Studio in Auckland and August 19 at Dux Live in Christchurch.

Pharcyde, comprised of rappers Slimkid3 and Fatlip, have released four albums, their last being 2004's Humboldt Beginnings.

But their most popular record remains their 1992 debut Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde, thanks to singles Ya Mama and Otha Fish.

Tickets for the shows are on sale now through Dash Tickets and iTicket.

Meanwhile, brace yourself for industrial-strength metallers Fear Factory, who return to New Zealand for a one-off show in September.

As part of the rough-and-ready metal titans' world tour in support of eighth album The Industrialist, they play the Powerstation on September 22.

The band, who have been to New Zealand many times, were here last in 2010, supporting Metallica in Christchuch.

They whip up a crunching, mechanical maelstrom with frontman Burton C Bell's dual vocal style - of death roars mixed with clean singing - a trademark of Fear Factory's sound.

While founding member and guitarist Dino Cazares believes The Industrialist is possibly their strongest album yet - "it's more Fear Factory than anything we've done in years," he says - you can't go past 1995 classic Demanufacture. Also, the 1993 remix collection, Fear is the Mindkiller, was a pioneering piece of dance-metal crossover.

Presale tickets on sale July 10 from muchmoremusic.co.nz and powerstation.net.nz. General tickets on sale July 12 from Ticketmaster and Real Groovy. For more info go to muchmoremusic.co.nz.

Also, Justin Bieber - who will be here for a promotional visit from July 18 - will be bringing his Believe world tour to New Zealand.

The top-selling teen pop star wrote on Twitter: "oh yeah...and just agreed to routing for EUROPE, RUSSIA, MIDDLE EAST, ASIA, AUSTRALIA and NZ, South America, and S AFRICA BELIEVE TOUR dates".

No dates have been confirmed, but watch this space.

Elsewhere, singer-songwriter Ben Harper is turning things down a notch for his two upcoming New Zealand shows.

He is going unplugged for his An Evening With Ben Harper shows, being held at Wellington's Michael Fowler Centre on November 3 and Auckland's ASB Theatre on November 5.

Harper, a regular New Zealand visitor, was here last as a support act for Pearl Jam in November, 2009.

Tickets for the shows go on sale July 11 through Ticketek and The Edge.

Pre-sales begin on July 6 through livenation.com.au.

-TimeOut