KC and the Sunshine band among star studded line up for disco concert

KC and the Sunshine Band will be touring NZ for the first time.

Drag out your flares, lycra and those open-necked button shirts, headbands and blue eyeshadow and get ready for A Summer's Day Disco 2020.

The touring music extravaganza, presented by Neptune Entertainment, to be held in Napier on Thursday, January 9, at Park Island, has a star-studded line-up including KC and the Sunshine Band; Earth Wind and Fire Experience featuring Al McKay, Boney M and The Australian Bee Gees Show.

Original member of KC and the Sunshine Band, KC Casey said via phone from his home in Miami that he was "very excited to be visiting New Zealand for the first time".

"I've toured probably 75 per cent of the world, been to Australia at least 10 to 15 times but have never been to New Zealand so when I was sent the offer by the promoters of A Summer's Day Disco 2020 I was so excited," KC said.

"I only have one day off during the entire time I'm there but I have heard it is such an amazing beautiful place I'm just going to enjoy every moment. I am just looking forward to simply stepping foot on the land. Australia has been my number one place to be so I can only imagine it will be just as good."

KC and the Sunshine band was founded in 1973 in Florida. The disco funk band had many hit songs including That's the Way (I Like It), (Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty, I'm Your Boogie Man, Keep It Comin' Love, Get Down Tonight, Boogie Shoes, Please Don't Go and Give It Up.

KC said audiences can expect to hear "all our hits".

"There will be 15 musicians on stage and I encourage the audience to take part in the show and be a part of it. There's a lot of stuff happening. It's a choreographed show, there's costume changes. It's all of our hits and then bits and pieces from our albums and a few covers. We try to keep everything familiar to the audience. Everything is live, nothing recorded."

KC has been on stage performing live since the band had its first hit, Blow your Whistle.

He retired for 10 years during the eighties but with the revival of disco he returned to the stage in the early nineties.

"I love what I'm doing and enjoy connecting with audiences," KC said

He says the best thing about going on tour is experiencing different cultures and meeting people.

"Sometime it's not so glamorous. But it's all about the moment on stage when we finally get to do what we have waited to do all day long.

"It's when you detach from anything else going on in your life and my hope is that's what the audience does too, simply enjoy the moment, music and dance, reminisce about old times and make new memories."

He always had a feeling his purpose in life was to entertain. "I can't explain it really, it was mystical in a way but there was never a doubt in my mind. I just knew, even at school. I had an age given to me in a dream about when it would happen and it pretty much did. Frightening in a way.

"I'm excited to experience everything NZ has to offer," he added.

• Book tickets for A Summer's Day Disco 2020 at www.neptuneentertainment.co.nz