Fat Freddy's French fan makes epic trip

Yannick Denis and Carine Guivarch arrive at Auckland Airport. Photo / Herald on Sunday.

When Yannick Denis won tickets to see his favourite band Fat Freddy's Drop play in Waihi tonight, there was one minor hitch.

The Frenchman was 18,500km away and with no way of making it out to the gig.

So he cheekily suggested on the band's Facebook page that the Kiwi dub band could pay for his airfare - and, to his amazement, they launched the "Blag Yannix an Airfare to NZ" campaign.

Fans, including their 115,000 Facebook followers, were invited to donate $10 or download a track from the band's website, raising $860 to go towards the flights for him and his girlfriend, Carine Guivarch.

"It's a dream," said Denis, 32, upon arrival at Auckland Airport yesterday afternoon.

Guivarch added: "At the beginning it was just a joke. But then the manager (Nicole Duckworth) got in touch and asked if we were serious about coming out.

"We couldn't believe it. It was a very, very nice thing to do. Yannick is probably the biggest Fat Freddy's fan in the world."

After a 48-hour journey, and seeing in the new year mid-air over Australia, the couple were due to pick up a camper van today before heading off on a two-week jaunt following the band's Road To Opononi tour.

Guivarch added: "It all happened so suddenly that we don't have much idea what to see out here. We have been getting a few tips."

Denis, who followed Fat Freddy's Drop around every date of their 2006 French tour, raised the rest of the fare through radio appearances.