A collaborative musical & visual show, set in a theatre environment, featuring fresh & established contemporary musicians & artists.

The focus is on original music and artistic collaboration, but the surrounding themes and aesthetics have made it much more of an experience than a just a concert.

Since its inception, Fly My Pretties has grown to become a local legend of music that continues to reach people all over the world. Fly My Pretties first entered New Zealanders’ hearts and minds in 2004, with the idea from The Black Seeds front-man Barnaby Weir and Mikee Tucker (Loop), to assemble a talented and exciting group of Wellington-based musicians and record it live in an intimate environment.

The objective: To meet, exchange ideas, and then perform and record and film the results in front of a live audience. Fly My Pretties performed their first season at Wellington’s Bats Theatre over five nights. It was a hit, and Fly My Pretties became Bats most attended event of 2004. Likewise, the album ‘Fly My Pretties - Live at Bats’ achieved platinum-status, received 6 B-Net nominations (winning Best Reggae/Roots Album), and was released internationally in the UK.

Then in 2006 building on the first event, ‘The Return of Fly My Pretties’ saw key members reunite with new faces Hollie Smith and Adi Dick. Their new repertoire encompassed an even more diverse range of styles and the theme reflected the state of contemporary Aotearoa New Zealand: A nation isolated in the pacific that is searching for its identity, while remembering where we have come from. Once again the Fly My Pretties shows were a sell out nationwide and the second album ‘The Return of Fly My Pretties’ went on to achieve platinum status, and won best Roots album at the 2007 New Zealand Music Awards.

In 2009 Fly My Pretties returned for a third time, featuring 16 musicians from all over NZ including some of the original Wellington crew and many new faces. The concept of ‘Fly My Pretties - A Story’ was to entertain and reflect on innocence, imagination and the solving of complex problems - which may enable a sustainable future. With this in mind, the cast put together 14 songs in 8 rehearsals before hitting the road.

‘Fly My Pretties – A Story’ represents the best takes from the unforgettable sell-out New Zealand tour, performed, filmed and recorded across 10 shows to over 15,000 people.

‘Fly My Pretties – A Story’ was released on Monday 17th August in New Zealand, and debuted at #1 on the Top 40 RIANZ album charts. In December 2009 Fly My Pretties played two final A Story encore shows at The Civic in Auckland and The Michael Fowler Centre in Wellington.

PRETTIES MEMBERS:

Barnaby Weir, Jarney Murphy, Mike Fabulous, Nigel Patterson (all in The Black Seeds), Toby Laing (Fat Freddy’s Drop), Age Pryor, Hollie Smith, Samuel Flynn Scott (The Phoenix Foundation) Adi Dick, Laughton Kora (Kora), Nathan ‘Nato’ Hickey (Grand Prix), Tessa Rain, Mailee Matthews (CASH), Module, Brendan Moran, Darren Siggley, Anna Coddington, Eva Prowse, L.A. Mitchell, Lisa Tomlins, Mara T.K (Electric Wire Hustle), Paul McLaney, Ryan Prebble, Tom Watson (Cassette), Rio Hunuki-Hemopo (TrinityRoots), Jayson Norris, Ned Ngatae (Anika Moa), Aaron Tokona (AHoriBuzz, Cairo Knife Fight), James Coyle & Iraia Whakamoe (both The Nudge).

2011 CAST FOR FMP IV

Amiria Grenell, Anna Coddington, Eva Prowse, Flip Grater, L.A. Mitchell, Aaron Tokona, Age Pryor, Barnaby Weir, Fran Kora, Iraia Whakamoe, James Coyle, Jarney Murphy, Justin Firefly Clarke, Mike Fabulous, Nigel Patterson, Ryan Prebble & special guest artist Flox.