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Win a Double Pass to Knightshade with Sabbatage - For the first time in 20 years iconic Kiwi rock band Knightshade will perform their first Bay of Plenty gig in November.
The soon-to-be-renamed Mauao Performing Arts Centre will play host to Knightshade and Black Sabbath tribute band Sabbatage on Friday, November 6.
Knightshade are guitarists Rik Bernards and Craig Pollock, bassist Neil McDonald, drummer Scott Williams, keyboardist Kingsley Smith and original vocalist Wayne Elliot.
“I’m really excited because for me it’s like going home,” Wayne says. “I’ve got a lot of lifelong friends who still live in the area and I can’t wait to perform for them, and catch up for a beer after the show.”
To tell the story of Knightshade is to tell a tale of change. Based in Hamilton since 1985, the band originally formed under the name of ‘Clearlite’ in Te Puke back in 1982.
Including the current line-up, over the course of the band’s career there’s been six guitarists (including Devilskin’s Paul Martin), three bassists, two keyboardists, and two drummers.
But Knightshade’s only ever had one vocalist and it’s a role Wayne has relished for the past 30 years.
“I love being on stage, those are the highlight moments of my career, while the rest of it used to be just hard work. Back in the day there were moments I’d think ‘not another gig’ and I think that was the main reason I was happy to give it up at that point.”
That point was 1996. After years of constant touring and the end of their contract with Mushroom Records, the members of Knightshade decided to part ways and follow their own paths.
“It was getting harder and harder for everybody to cope, to put in all that hard work when you’re not getting any return for it and you have a young family to look after.
“We’re all past that now, pretty soon our kids will be looking after us, well that’s the plan anyway,” Wayne jokes before bursting out into laughter.
But the lure of performing was too strong and in 2006 Wayne with Rik, Craig and original drummer Alan Grady cranked up the Kinghtshade machine once more.
Wayne says there is a different mind-set this time around for the band, it’s a lot cruiser and everyone’s “been there, done that”.
“We’re definitely not rock stars or ex-rock stars in any shape or form, we’re just a band of Kiwis who enjoy playing together and just want people to come along and enjoy listening to our sound.
“We’re playing for now, not so much for the future because you don’t know what that brings, it can change very quickly.”
Knightshade with Sabbatage plays the Mauao Performing Arts Centre on Friday, November 6. Tickets cost $25 on the door or $20 online via Eventfinda: www.eventfinda.co.nz
The Weekend Sun has one double pass to the show to give away to one lucky reader who can tell us how many vocalists Knightshade has had?
