Sounds Series 2025 Line-Up Announced

SOUNDS SERIES is proud to announce its best line-up yet, with Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark (OMD), Thompson Twins’ Tom Bailey, Jon Stevens, Diesel, and Ardijah all confirmed to perform next summer at Auckland Sounds (27 Feb), Selwyn Sounds (1 March) and Hutt Sounds (2 March) in 2025.

These artists dominated the charts in the ‘80s – racking up a staggering 23 NZ Top 20 hits between them, eight more than this year’s lineup which was headlined by The Human League.

Concert-goers should register now at soundsseries.co.nz for access to 48-hour EarlyBird presale tickets from 8am Tuesday 18th June, and general sale tickets from 8am Thursday 20th June.

Access all information for Sounds Series 2025 at soundsseries.co.nz.

Says Andy McCluskey from Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), “Finally!!! After nearly 40 years, we are so excited to be able to say that we are going to play live again in New Zealand. We cannot wait! As it’s been such a long time we will be playing every single one of our hits”.

SOUNDS SERIES ANNOUNCES HUGE LINE-UP FOR 2025:
★ Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark (OMD)
★ Thompson Twins’ Tom Bailey
★ Jon Stevens – Noiseworks & INXS Collection
★ DIESEL
★ Ardijah

OMD have sold over 40 million albums. Fans, get ready to dance away to their classic hits like If You Leave, Enola Gay, (Forever) Live and Die, Electricity, Joan Of Arc (Maid Of Orleans), We Love You and many more.

Thompson Twins’ Tom Bailey will finally perform in New Zealand all the Thompson Twins hits we love to sing along to: Hold Me Now, Doctor Doctor, King For A Day, Love On Your Side, Lay Your Hands On Me, and many more. It has been a long 39 year wait since Thompson Twins’ unforgettable Western Springs Stadium concert in 1986.

Says Thompson Twins’ Tom Bailey: “After nearly four decades (!) I’m so very happy to be playing the Thompson Twins’ hits again in Aotearoa New Zealand, the place which has become my home. So we’re all looking forward to three great nights with an amazing group of artists. See you there!”

Jon Stevens fans, get ready to enjoy hearing INXS gems like Need you Tonight, New Sensation, Never Tear Us Apart, Devil Inside and many more, as well as Noiseworks smash hits like Take me Back, Touch, No Lies and Hot Chilli Woman. Hutt Sounds at Brewtown in Upper Hutt will be a very special tour finale for Australian-based Stevens, who grew up in Upper Hutt and went to high school there.

Australian rocker Diesel holds a special place in the hearts of New Zealand fans, thanks to his string of hits here, including Tip Of My Tongue, Come To Me, and Don’t Need Love.

South Auckland legends Ardijah – creators of their own infectious genre Polyfonk – complete the Sounds Series line-up. We look forward to Ryan and Betty-Anne Monga and band wooing our festival crowds with superb songs like Watching U, Time Makes A Wine, Give Me Your Number, Do To You and more!

SOUNDS SERIES 2025 DATES AND VENUES

AUCKLAND SOUNDS, Thursday 27 February 2025, Eventfinda Stadium (formerly North Shore Events Centre), from 5pm.

SELWYN SOUNDS, Saturday 1 March 2025, Lincoln Domain, Selwyn, Christchurch, from 10am.

HUTT SOUNDS, Sunday 2 March 2025, Brewtown, Upper Hutt, Wellington from 1.30pm.

Sounds Series 2025 is proudly presented by promoters 3CG and Plus1, and media partner The Breeze.

Each festival offers an array of full bar facilities and food vendors offering a world of delicacies. VIP options are available for each event.

 

ARTIST PROFILES

 Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark (OMD)

British electronic synth pioneers Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark (OMD) make their triumphant return to New Zealand to headline Sounds Series 2025.

OMD have sold over 40 million albums and recorded some of the most iconic songs of the 1980s.  Combining their love of synth, electronic music, and their talent for writing great pop songs, OMD have established themselves as of one Britain’s most- loved pop groups. Don’t miss your chance to witness one of the most influential bands in electronic music history.

Celebrating 45 years in music, former schoolfriends Andy McCluskey and Paul Humphries, will play their catalogue of hits that include some of the most beloved songs of the 80s – including If You Leave from the Pretty in Pink soundtrack, Enola Gay, Secret, Souvenir, So in Love, (Forever) Live and Die, Electricity, Joan Of Arc (Maid Of Orleans) and  many more alongside songs from their stellar fourteen studio albums including their latest release, Bauhaus Staircase, released in 2023.

Their latest studio album Bauhaus Staircase, charting at no.2 in the UK, is OMD’s most explicitly political record and the crowning achievement of their desire to be both Stockhausen and Abba – born from the impetus to kickstart new explorations during lockdown. A broad, electronic, sonic masterpiece that lyrically tackles the topics of the future, it was predominantly written, recorded, and mixed by both McCluskey and Paul Humphreys.

Thompson Twins’ Tom Bailey

Tom Bailey’s creative past, present and future can’t be plotted along a straight line. It’s a prism, with dub, pop and world influences at each corner.

The pop element is his most well-known and came back into play in 2018 with a brand new album, Science Fiction. It arrived just over 25 years after Play With Me, the last single by the Thompson Twins, which sat alongside tracks by Bowie, Eno and Moby on the soundtrack to 1992’s Cool World.

The previous decade of course, had seen the Thompson Twins rise from squat-based free-form indie anarchy – with 1981’s Set and ‘82’s A Product Of… – to world domination, with a set at Live Aid backed by Nile Rodgers and Madonna. They had 7 top 40 hits in the US and 10 in the UK with another 4 top 40 hits in the US Dance Chart including 2 No1’s with ‘Lies’ and ‘Hold Me Now’ and over 10 million album sales worldwide.

Playing the Thompson Twins’ hits live around the world for the past few years has also forced Tom to reassess the group’s music.

“One thing I’ve discovered – that I never really consciously understood back in the day – is that, although the Thompson Twins’ songs nearly always have this bright punchy positive chorus, often evoking love and togetherness, there’s actually a dark heart in most of the verses. There’s all sorts of weird complications and confusions going on. They’re not just boy-meets-girl love songs. I found myself relating very strongly to that, and what it means about what we all did 30 years ago, and what’s happened to us all ever since then.”

“I so much enjoyed playing concerts around the world over the last few years. There’s something so special about the way this kind of music works and, for me, it’s like finding a long-lost friend.”

 

Jon Stevens – Noiseworks & INXS collection

Australian based Kiwi rocker Jon Stevens brings his acclaimed Noiseworks and INXS collection to Sounds Series.

Jon Stevens: The Noiseworks + INXS collection has been rocking large festivals across Australia. Now it is New Zealand’s turn to hear Jon perform INXS classics like Need you Tonight, New Sensation, Never Tear Us Apart, Devil Inside and many more, as well as Noiseworks smash hits like Take me Back, Touch, No Lies and Hot Chilli Woman.

Jon Stevens fronted Oz rockers Noiseworks throughout their hit-packed career, and became new lead singer for the legendary INXS as they transformed into the new millennium.

This tour concept focusing on his two iconic Downunder bands was cemented recently when INXS’s Andrew Farriss told Jon backstage: “That was an awesome gig, but you really need to do more INXS songs!”.

Every song on the setlist is a smash radio hit and guaranteed to have you on your feet from the outset.

And for the Kiwi crowds, this born and bred Upper Hutt legend hints his set list may go way back. Montego Bay anyone? Jon’s Sounds Series finale at Hutt Sounds in his original hometown, Upper Hutt, will be a very special moment.

DEISEL

Born in Fall River Massachusetts, the youngest of seven from a sax playing electronics technician father and a mother in nursing, Mark Lizotte aka DIESEL grew up in Australia and in the U.S.

He formed the band ‘Johnny Diesel & The Injectors’ in 1986 from remnants of a previous band before embarking on a solo career in 1991.

In 2017 Diesel celebrated 30 years “off the bus” landing in Sydney in 1987 after a 3-day bus journey across Australia, launching into 9 shows per week – the rest is history.

With over thirty five singles, sixteen albums, 6 ARIA awards and record sales edging 1 million, DIESEL is a journeyman of music.

With blues music in his DNA, an influence largely from his Father’s record collection, DIESEL has blended styles to come up with a truly unique sound, punctuated with his distinct guitar playing and vocals.

His fanbase in New Zealand is strong, thanks for NZ chart hits like Tip Of My Tongue, Come To Me, Don’t Need Love, Never Miss Water and many more.

Ardijah

Ryan Monga grew up in Otara, Auckland with a melting pot of Pacific peoples, and was exposed to a rich blend of both traditional Cook Island/Tahitian music and the sounds of international funk bands.

Meanwhile, Betty-Anne’s musical influences consisted of great Jazz/Blues singers Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald and Australia’s Renee Geyer.

Ardijah’s first album ‘Take A Chance’ was released in 1988 holding a Top 20 position on the sales charts for four months and achieving platinum status. The four singles released from the album were all radio hits, with all 3 charting Top 10.

Ardijah toured extensively, attracting large crowds from a broad range of music lovers, cementing their reputation not only as talented recording artists but also as dynamic performers.

In 1990 their burgeoning musical career took Ardijah to Sydney, Australia where they

were chosen as support act on Bobby Brown’s Australian Tour, and also contributed their unique sound to the albums of other talented Australian artists. A cameo performance for musical legend Quincy Jones was definitely a highlight.

After returning home to New Zealand in 1996, Ardijah released their album ‘Influence’ on their new independent label South Central Productions of which the singles ‘Bad Buzz’ and ‘Oh Baby’ received national airplay. Excellent sales from this album also reinforced Ardijah’s ongoing popularity with people from all walks of life.

1998 saw the band produce their first single release by a major record label in several years. The obscure Bee Gee’s track, ‘Love So Right’ was released – catching the attention of the original artists/songwriters, resulting in a meeting with Ardijah and the Gibb brothers.

‘Love So Right’ was one of New Zealand’s most played radio hits of the year, remaining in the Top 20 for seventeen weeks – seven of those weeks in the Top 10 – sending the song to Gold sales. Their follow-up single, ‘Silly Love Songs’, was released in January 1999 reached Number One, giving them another Gold. At the 1999 Music Awards, Ardijah were finalists in three categories Top Group, Top Single and Top Female Vocalist, of which Betty-Anne took the Best Female Vocalist Award.