Velvet Revolver, Blondie heading down under

Velvet Revolver

Get that liver primed and ready, because rockers Velvet Revolver are coming to town.

What a cocktail of excess the likes of Slash, Duff, Matt Sorum (all formerly of Guns'n'Roses) and Scott Weiland (from Stone Temple Pilots) have experienced in their musical careers.

Now, they're back making good time rock'n'roll as Velvet Revolver and they play Auckland's Supertop on February 19 and the Westpac Events Centre, in Christchurch, on February 17. Tickets go on sale on Friday.

Also on February 17, The Shins - the Albuquerque pop-rock band with psychedelic rock tendencies whose music figures in the flick Garden State - play Auckland's Kings Arms. The band will also play non-Auckland concerts during university orientation and those dates will be announced next week. Their gigs Downunder are part of a world tour to promote this year's Chutes Too Narrow album.

Blondie also returns to the Civic Theatre in Auckland on February 28.

Deborah Harry and the Blondie lads played two sell-out shows in New Zealand during August 2003.

Meanwhile, lightning fast guitarist Joe Satriani, the man who gave guitar lessons to Steve Vai, Metallica's Kirk Hammett and Larry Lalonde from Primus, play the St James in Auckland on March 12.