NZ Concerts & The Quake

A 6.3-magnitude shaker hit Christchurch Monday, killing at least 65 people and burying more than 100 in rubble. The earthquake was the second to hit the area since Christchurch was struck with a 7.1-magnitude quake Sept. 4.

The first reported changes regarding concert schedules comes from promotion company Frontier Touring saying it moved the Queens Of The Stone Age show scheduled for Wellington Town Hall to Feb. 23. Frontier also reports that the Feb. 24 show scheduled for Christchurch Feb. 24 has been canceled.

The Melvins, which played Christchurch along with High On Fire the evening before the quake, tweeted that the band was about to board a flight for Wellington when the temblor struck, leaving the group stranded at the airport. The band’s tweet pointed to statement issued by the tour’s promoter stating the Wellington shows may be rescheduled for later in the week but cautioned fans that those changes have yet to be locked down.

Don McLean tweeted that he and his band were in the air when the quake struck, having left Christchurch a half-hour before the ground started shaking. McLean is scheduled to play Wellington Feb. 23 and Auckland Feb. 24.

So far, there has been no word as to the status of concerts scheduled for New Zealand during the next few days. Neil Diamond is scheduled to play Auckland’s Vector Arena Feb. 26 & 28 and the “A Day On The Green” featuring Crowded House, Supergroove and Seth Haapu is scheduled for Feb. 26 in Napier at the Church Road Winery and Feb. 27 in Auckland at Villa Maria Estate. So far, those shows are still on the books.