My Holidays: Singer-guitarist Pat Beers

Lety Beers and her husbnad Pat Beers, of the Schizophonics. Photo / Supplied

What was your greatest holiday? I've gone to some amazing places on tour, but my favourite trip that was just for a holiday was Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. My wife Lety and I went there for our honeymoon, and we had lots of little adventures, like hiking through the jungle. Aside from that, I usually prefer touring to vacationing because you're constantly meeting so many like-minded people at shows. It really makes it feel like a small world.

If we bump into you on holiday, what are you most likely to be doing? Exploring the old part of town.

If we could teleport you to one place in NZ for a week-long holiday, where would it be? No question. September 1966, in Hereford Lane, Christchurch, at a club called the Stage Door. That's where a band called Chants R&B recorded my favourite live album.

How about for a dream holiday internationally? I've always wanted to visit South America and hike up to Machu Picchu.

What's the dumbest thing you've ever done when travelling? Sleeping in and missing the Salvador Dali museum in Figueres, Spain.

Aisle seat or window seat? I still love watching lift-off through the window, though I usually end up in the middle seat. I exact my revenge by passing out and drooling on everyone.

Complete this sentence: I can't travel without ... thinking I've forgotten something.

What's the best travel tip you've ever been given? No matter how tired and jet-lagged you feel, stay awake at least until the sun goes down so you'll adjust to the time change quicker.

What was the most memorable meal you've had while travelling? I still crave the pulpo (grilled octopus) from Spain on a weekly basis.

What's the best thing you've brought back from a trip? At the end of our last European tour, the drummer from a band we'd befriended gave us a stack of obscure French records from the 60s, stuff I would have never known to get on my own.

Favourite airport to land at? Madrid-Barajas Airport. There's no hassle there about us being touring musicians.

What's the next trip you've got planned? We're excited to be playing in Belgium and the Netherlands for the first time this June. We've met some great bands from Holland, and the country has a cool musical history. And, of course, New Zealand, in the next two weeks.

Singer-guitarist Pat Beers is joined by his wife, Lety, on drums and bassist Blake Lindquist for the Schizophonics' first New Zealand tour starting at Whammy Bar in Auckland on May 23. For details go to undertheradar.co.nz