The South Island's favourite multi-stage festival Southern Amp takes a road trip to the North this year with the announcement of a series of exclusive and very limited capacity side-shows in Auckland featuring the various international visitors and some of our own local acts from the Southern Amp 09 bill.

The Christchurch festival being held on Thursday 12th November at Westpac Arena is already on sale with the solid uptake of earlybird tickets from just $69.50 still going strong. But in the spirit of all good festivals, Southern Amp are giving a very limited number of Auckland fans who can't make the trip down to the South Island the chance to catch the main acts in their own town as SAmp 09 makes its first small steps North.

The first two Southern Amp 09 side-shows off the rank will both be held at the newly refurbished and recently re-opened STUDIO VENUE on Auckland's K'Road, details as follows: GRINSPOON / MAMMAL & THE EARLYBIRDS - THE STUDIO K'ROAD - FRIDAY 13th NOVEMBER 7.30pm Tickets $57.50 (+ bkg fee) from www.eventfinder.co.nz & Real Groovy Queen Street / R18 restricted Aussie rockers GRINSPOON have been a mainstay on the Australian music scene for close on 15 years and have built a massive following through endless touring, regular controversy but above all; thumping live shows! After 18 months recording their new album 'Six To Midnight' which ironically debuted at No.6 in the Aussie Album charts this week.., the band head back on the road and return to NZ for the first time since Big Day Out a few years back.

Frontman Phil Jamieson was also one of the key Aussie artists featured on the recent sellout "White Album" concerts across the ditch featuring the entire song list from The Beatles famous double album. Grinspoon are joined on stage at The Studio on Friday 13th November by MAMMAL from Melbourne, straight off the back of their first headline tour to UK which brought rave reviews from music press, plus local Devonport lads THE EARLYBIRDS whose debut single 'Runaway' has firmly established them as one of NZ's hottest new acts.

BUZZCOCKS 'ANOTHER.. BITES TOUR' + Guests - THE STUDIO - SATURDAY 14th NOVEMBER 8.00pm Tickets $79.50 (+bkg fee) from www.eventfinder.co.nz & Real Groovy Queen Street / R18 restricted The BUZZCOCKS are quite simply one of THE most important and influential bands of all time. One of the founding fathers of punk rock and pioneers of independent record labels, they have released the greatest stream of punk pop singles of all time. In March 1978 BUZZCOCKS released their debut album 'Another Music in a Different Kitchen' and in the process created the template for pop-punk and a thousand imitators everywhere. Six months later, they released 'Love Bites' the more progressive but equally infectious follow-up that reached #13 on the UK charts. In January 2009 BUZZCOCKS announced the 'Another... Bites' tour performing both classic albums in their entirety and selling out an entire UK tour. Add in some bonus non-album tracks and you have the perfect Buzzcocks set-list, the perfect gig. Across the two albums are some of the genuine classics of the punk-era including Orgasm Addict, What Do I Get, Autonomy, Oh Shit, Fast Cars, Get On Your Own, Sixteen Again, Just Lust and the crossover anthem Ever Fallen in Love (With Someone You Shouldnt've). Note - Buzzcocks also play Bodega in Wellington on Friday 13th November. TICKETS FOR BOTH THESE SHOWS GO ON SALE WEDNESDAY 30th SEPTEMBER 9.00AM Details of further Southern Amp Auckland side-shows to be announced asap. Southern Amp 09 Christchurch - Thursday 12th November from 5.00pm featuring BUZZCOCKS, KORA, GRINSPOON, SALMONELLA DUB, THE VEILS, MIDNIGHT YOUTH, MAMMAL, THE BATS, AN EMERALD CITY and lots more. Earlybird tickets on sale now at just $69.50 + bkg fees from TICKETEK and REAL GROOVY CHCH. This general admission allocation will be strictly limited at this price and will be available for a limited period only unless sold out before. Visit - www.southernamp.co.nz for all information.