Ready to rock

ROCKIN' OUT: The Narcs are bringing rock ‘n' roll back to Gisborne in November. Picture by Steve Hussey

Rock ‘n' roll icons The Narcs are set to create musical pandemonium when they reach Gisborne in November.

The three-piece band will be playing some of their earlier sensations such as Heart and Soul (Remake), No Turning Back and Stay Away, among other singles from their newest album Outskirts, which was released in June.

The group consists of drummer Josh Sorenson, Tony Waine on bass, and guitarist and vocalist Andy Dickson.

Although their latest album saw keyboardist Liam Ryan contribute his skills, the tour will only see the trio take to the stage.

Their trip to Gisborne will be their first in many decades — their last visit was in the late 1980s.

“We had a great reception to the gigs back in the day,” Dickson said.

“It's pretty cool to come back again.”

The Narcs ruled New Zealand's singles charts in the 1980s with massive anthems reverberating through the ages such as Heart and Soul and Diamonds on China.

While living in Christchurch in 1980, Bob Ogilvie (drummer) and Waine decided to start a band and were soon joined by guitarist Garth Sinclair.

When Sinclair left the band to move overseas with his family, Dickson came along to complete the line-up for the group, which would come to make quite a name for themselves.

“I was fresh out of school and looking to create a band so I advertised for a singer and a woman named Barbara saw the ad and helped connect me with Bob. And the rest is history.”

Born on the outskirts of Sydney, Dickson said while he wasn't much into sports, he had taken an early interest in guitar.

Taking inspiration from rock bands such as Led Zeppelin, who ruled the 70s with their music, a younger Dickson was committed to making music.

As he got older he would sneak into the busy Sydney pubs to listen to local rock bands play.

When the impressionable and 20-year-old budding musician finally found his way into The Narcs, the band had already started to reach its peak.

The rock ‘n' roll group filled pubs and concert halls, and toured up and down Aotearoa and across Australia with musicians such as Dave Dobbyn, Midnight Oil and Split Enz.

At one point The Narcs even opened for Queen (in 1985) and Elton John (in 1984), two of the world's most influential artists.

The band, however, had several reincarnations with a few members coming and going over time.

When the Covid-19 pandemic hit and touring was halted, The Narcs were encouraged to revisit their old songs.

And their fifth album Outskirts was born.

“Outskirts is actually a reference to how the group grew up in different suburbs. So it's kind of a metaphor,” Dickson said.

“When we were discussing what our album should be titled we chose Outskirts as we feel that The Narcs have kind of been on the outskirts of the scene these days.”

The Narcs are bringing their spring tour to Smash Palace, Friday, November 11. Tickets from undertheradar.co.nz