Internationally regarded as one of the world’s finest live draws, Fat Freddy's Drop hail from Aotearoa New Zealand, South Pacific. Hi-tek soul pirates, resolutely independent. Founded in the club scene in Wellington in 1999, Freddys sound draws inspiration from almost every part of the black music lexicon. Soul drenched vocals and jazz harmonies collide with tape delays and echo chambers, underpinned by a rhythm section as comfortable laying down a throbbing, techy soundscape as they are a swampy blues stomp. It’s a potent mixture of virtuosity and diaphragm-wrecking digital sonics.
Fat Freddy's Drop : Joe Dukie aka Dallas Tamaira - Vocals, Dobie Blaze aka Iain Gordon – Keyboard, Chopper Reeds aka Scott Towers - Saxophone, Tony Chang aka Toby Laing – Trumpet, Conway Jeune aka C-Way Green – Guitar and MC Slave aka Mark Williams. BOATS Tour rhythm section Cory Champion - Drums & Johnny Lawrence - Bass.
DJ Fitchie aka Chris Faiumu – MPC, Producer (1999-2025).
Fat Freddy's Drop
Kia ora Chopper’s Diary. BOATS France & Amsterdam log. ‘I have to admit I'm behind on this update. I've been battling a head cold for a week... and also the NFL is heating up so there's been a few too many late nights as some of us watch the games. ALL the games... there's so many. The Bills, in case you were wondering. Oh, and Mr Champion supports the Lions.... and then we've got 2nd and 3rd teams we're following too.
France seems like it was almost a lifetime ago.... but we had such a great time there. The support in Lyon - a place we were meant to play before the gig got swallowed up by the Covid shutdown way back when - was amazing. We had a day off there to re group post-Italy, which most used eating steak and shopping for records. Shout out to Livity Records for delivering yet again - especially for C-Way and Cory, who both scored great 45s. MC Slave did more or less ALL his record shopping for the entire tour in that one spot.
Nantes was a great spot to play too. Again - somewhere we've never visited before. Again we met brilliant people in the record stores - hello DJ MOAR! And then on to Zenith in Paris for a proper big show. We felt like we nailed that one and it was great to reconnect with some friends from the good/bad old days.
Amsterdam was the next adventure. Three nights in Paradiso - a spot where we first played over 20 years ago. It's such an intense place to do a show - with the crowd piled on top of you over 3 levels. Each of the three nights was something different, with Monday being particularly memorable - a real listening audience who gradually started to cut loose as the show built and then lost their shit during a riotous version of Shiverman. On our days off we visited plenty of museums, pubs, coffee shops and shoe stores. There's seriously good eating to be done in Amsterdam too - with a mission to Fou Fow Udon followed by a pub crawl back to the hotel a stand out.
We're rolling through the UK now, with just a few nights left in this run. It's crazy to think we're getting towards 60 shows on this BOATS adventure…’
Paradiso Pic Chur, Adam Sumner Photography
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Fat Freddy's Drop
Ta Leeds for a cracker night, extra special with legend DJ Nightmares On Wax opening BOATS show for us in his hometown. Next Drop with the bro, O2 Academy Birmingham this Thu and Ally Pally, London on Fri (Sold Out). Then Freddys hit O2 Academy Glasgow, Sunday Funday autumn tour finale. #BOATS2026
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Kia ora Aussie, tickets out the gate today for Palace Foreshore, Esplanade Park, Fremantle 1st March and On The Banks, QPAC Brisbane 5th March. Special Guests at both shows SUB-TRIBE bros. Epic.
Check Gig Guide for Tickets www.fatfreddysdrop.com/gig-guide/
19 hours ago |[YT] | 29
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Brilliant time at Rock City, bonus to have DJ Nightmares On Wax represent at the house of Lemmy with us. Big ups Nottingham. Next Drop, Leeds tonight! #BOATS2026
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BOATS mystic soul connection hits the home stretch of our autumn roady this week. Super Special Guest DJ Nightmares On Wax opening up our shows at Rock City, Nottingham tonight, O2 Academy Leeds tomorrow, O2 Academy, Birmingham on Thu and mighty Ally Pally, London this Fri (Sold Out!). Love and vibes. Kia ora Scotland, catch you Sun 25 Oct for BOATS finale at O2 Academy, Glasgow. #BOATS2026
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Manchester belter - absolute choons from Special Guest DJ Nightmares On Wax, soul fire heavyweight round. Next Stop, Nottingham 19 Oct, Leeds 20 Oct, Birmingham 22 Oct & London 23 Oct (Sold Out!). Last BOATS autumn tour Drop, Glasgow 25 Oct. #BOATS2026
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Kia ora Manchester, our BOATS show is going to be a belter at O2 Apollo tonight. Special Guest legend DJ Nightmares On Wax is in the house for the first of five UK shows with us. Ngā mihi bro, welcome from Freddys whānau. Manchester Set Times - Doors/DJ The Logg Cabin 7:00pm, Nightmares On Wax 7:45pm - 8:30pm, Fat Freddy’s Drop 8:30pm - 11:00pm. Last Tickets Available. Catch you soon Nottingham, Leeds, Birmingham and London (Sold Out!). #BOATS2026
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Big ups Bristol, so so good to sing and dance the night away with everyone at The Prospect Building. Next UK soul fire Drop, Manchester tonight! #BOATS2026
Pic Chur Nathan Turner, The Fresh Focus
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Gave it our all for the final of our BOATS triple hitter at Paradiso last night. Loved every minute. Dankjewel Amsterdam and the many travelers from far and wide for making our mini residency fly high higher. Arohanui. Next Drop, Bristol. #BOATS2026
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Kia ora Australia, fantastic news, BOATS 21st Anniversary Tour is heading to Fremantle and Brisbane in 2027! Doing it for the love of music at Palace Foreshore, Esplanade Park on 1st March, and On The Banks, Queensland Performing Arts Centre on 5th March. Special Guests, Sub-Tribe bros. Lock it in. Pre-sale Tickets On Sale 19th Oct, GA On Sale 21st Oct. #BOATS2027
Check Gig Guide for Tickets www.fatfreddysdrop.com/gig-guide
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