The Rock 2000 has added Aussie rock heavyweights Grinspoon to this year’s lineup.
The legendary Lismore rockers weren’t the only surprise, with recently reformed Kiwi rock band Tadpole also announced. They’ll perform alongside alternative metal band Blindspott and a 30-piece Philharmonic Orchestra at Auckland’s Spark Arena on September 26th.
Grinspoon’s appearance falls in the midst of an Australia tour celebrating the band’s 30th birthday. Their career has included over half a million records sold, seven top 10 albums, 13 ARIA nominations, and a live show hailed for its sweat-soaked intensity.
Reflecting on the band’s long history of touring in a 2024 interview with Rolling Stone AU/NZ, frontman Phil Jamieson said that despite the inevitable speed bumps, touring has, ultimately, always been a highlight for the band. “Ultimately touring, wherever we tour, has always been incredibly fun,” he said. “It’s a fucking great job and we love playing, so whether it’s somewhat negative, we try to find somewhat of a positive out of it as well.”
Grinspoon will take the stage on the final day of The Rock 2000’s marathon countdown on New Zealand radio station ROVA. Unlike other music countdowns which only include songs from the past year, Rock 2000 allow voters to select their all-time top 20 rock songs.
The countdown reveals the top 2000 songs gradually over a month-long lead-up to a huge live event for the top 20.
“This isn’t just another gig — it’s the holy day on the rock ‘n’ roll calendar,” said Brad King, The Rock’s Content Director.
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“Every year, we bleed for this thing — months of planning, late nights, loud music, and louder opinions. But it’s all worth it when the lights go up and 6000 legends are screaming every lyric back at us from the top 20 Live Ceremony.”
Last year’s countdown ended with Foofighters’ 1997 song “Everlong” taking out the top spot with live performances from Wolfmother and a rare appearance of the Kiwi Rock Royalty Supergroup.
Voting for this year’s edition of The Rock 2000 is open from 9am on August 4th until 11:59pm on August 24th. The countdown will kick off one week later at 8am on September 1st.
For more information on tickets, click here.
