Dave Dobbyn Slice of Heaven – 40 Years of Hits Tour in Waikato

Bonafide Kiwi legend Dave Dobbyn is celebrating 40 years as a songwriter, recording artist and performer with a nationwide tour taking in 12 centres this April.

The tour coincides with the release of the Slice Of Heaven - 40 Years of Hits album, kicking off in Whangarei. Afterwards, he will be heading to Auckland, Waiheke, Putaruru, Wairoa and Feilding. His classic rock n' roll tour will carry on to Wanganui, Wellington, Nelson, Christchurch, Dunedin and Invercargill.

Dobbyn’s extraordinary musical career began with high school band Th’ Dudes. His first try at writing a song was a disaster but he took the next attempt to the band where his ‘Be Mine Tonight’ song went on to be Th’ Dudes first release and winner of Single of the Year at the National Music Awards in 1979.

Four decades on, Dave Dobbyn’s music has become part of the nation’s soundtrack with an astonishing 10 songwriting credits on APRA’s Top 100 New Zealand Songs of All Time, featuring songs released by Th’ Dudes, DD Smash and as a solo artist. He’s won Best Male Vocalist a record six times and the most awards of any New Zealand musician - three Silver Scroll awards and 29 New Zealand Music Awards across his career. The music hasn’t stopped coming - he released a 10th studio album as a solo artist, Harmony House, just last year.

He’s won Best Male Vocalist, a record six times and the most awards of any New Zealand musician - three Silver Scroll awards and 29 New Zealand Music Awards across his career. The music hasn’t stopped coming - he released a 10th studio album as a solo artist, Harmony House, just last year.

All these songs and many more will feature in a theatre tour with Dobbyn and his full band, along with anecdotes about how the songs came to be written, told in his inimitable style.

Dobbyn exclaimed that playing provincial New Zealand gigs was his favourite thing. He loved it so much, it's pure pleasure, just being aware of the community and community life where everyone's celebrating and there's an energy flow that's healthily contagious.