One of the world’s biggest roots reggae bands kick off the Victorian leg of their Australian tour in Geelong this week.
All-Māori reggae phenomenon Katchafire will light up the Barwon Club when they play the first of four Victorian shows on Thursday, November 28.
Originally formed in Hamilton (NZ) in 1997 as a Bob Marley tribute band, they have gone on to become a reggae-rock force in their own right, renowned for their unforgettable live performances.
With six albums, five of which peaked in the top 10 in New Zealand, released over 15 years, opening shows for massive acts like The Wailers and touring the world, Katchafire have been ambassadors for their country and culture.
The Australian tour coincides with the release of a remixed and remastered version of Seriously, a track from 2003 album Revival.
Redubbed Seriously (Revived Version), founding member and vocalist Logan Bell said the track was a “love lament” about the missed opportunities during those early days in the band.
“We were pretty driven to make a career out of music and I would put those (romantic) pursuits to the side because the band took precedence over everything else,” he said.
“When the album came out it was at the beginning of a massive reggae resurgence, and our message was for the under-represented, oppressed and down-trodden, speaking directly to like-minded people.
“We were igniting and raising consciousness using reggae music to push our message to the world to where it needed to be.”
Seriously is not the only song due for revivification. The band has been working on remixes of all the tracks from Revival with “a host of special guests from the global reggae world”.
“Originally recorded around 2000, the Revival album was the band’s first time together in a studio, our first time tracking and mixing and they weren’t as hands-on as they are now with the process,” he said.
“We felt that certain aspects of the finished album left us wanting, so remixing the album is something we’ve always talked about.
“Twenty-three years on we got the chance, and it was really fun to hear the original studio performances. They still stand up today and it made me feel real proud of those early recordings and the OG team.”
Katchafire will be supported at the Barwon Club by fellow NZ acts Laughton Kora and Indica.
