SHIHAD & THE CHECKS - Special guests at THE CONCERT EVENT OF SUMMER! GREAT TICKETS AVAILABLE FOR ALL SHOWS

TWO of New Zealand's greatest rock bands SHIHAD and THE CHECKS will be the special guests of AC/DC when they perform in Wellington and Auckland in the biggest rock show on the planet.

The countdown has begun on these massive concert events to be held the Westpac Trust Stadium in Wellington on Thursday, January 28 and Saturday, January 30 and in Auckland on Thursday, February 4 at Western Springs. Tickets are available to all three concerts and reserved seating is also now available for the January 30 concert in Wellington. Book through Ticketek (Wellington) and Ticketmaster (Auckland)

Promoter Garry Van Egmond says he's delighted to have secured SHIHAD and THE CHECKS to appear on the bill with legendary rockers AC/DC who have just been nominated for two Grammy awards in the best rock album and best hard rock performance.

"They are an awesome fit for AC/DC. New Zealand will never have and probably never will again see a rock extravaganza of this calibre. It's huge. It's not just a concert. It's an event."

Be part of rock history when the AC/DC juggernaut rolls into New Zealand next month aboard an AC/DC flotilla direct from a mighty European tour then trucked to stadiums in 48 semi-trailers. Already 1 in 40 Kiwis have snapped up tickets ... don't be left at home alone!

"AC/DC remain the gold standard for arena spectacle rock'n'roll." The Times (UK)

"Rock 'n' roll that outlasts time." Chicago Tribune

"It's been way too long since someone tore the roof off the place like this." Orange County Register (LA)

The New Zealand concerts come on the back of the release of the hugely successful Black Ice album. Released on October 20, 2008 on Albert Productions and distributed by Sony Music, Black Ice sold close to 2 million copies globally in the first week of release and debuted at the number one spot in a staggering 29 countries.

Black Ice is AC/DC's first new album in over eight years and it's evident the band is still an incredible force in rock.

Black Ice has been certified Multi Platinum in 18 countries, including the US, New Zealand, Australia, Canada, Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, Germany, France, Italy, Argentina and the Czech Republic.

Additionally Black Ice has achieved Platinum status in five countries (including the UK and Spain) and Gold status in four countries (including The Netherlands, Poland and Brazil). With over 6.5 million copies of Black Ice shipped worldwide, combined with over 5.5 million in catalogue sold last year, AC/DC has surpassed The Beatles as the #1 selling catalogue artist in the US for 2008.

Don't miss the rock event of the decade which is heading to New Zealand in January and February 2010!