Reggae band UB40 reckon they have struck gold - even before arriving in Queenstown.
Ali Campbell, frontman of the group he founded in 1978, says they have devised the ultimate strategy for taking their music around the world - the winery tour.
As they prepared to play the fifth of eight shows of their Red Red Wine Vineyard Tour at Waitiri Creek, near Queenstown, tomorrow, Campbell said they were finally doing something he had talked about for six years.
‘‘We're going around all these beautiful places and playing gigs - it couldn't be better.
‘‘We can take it to South America and California next - we can do all the wineries in the world.
‘‘I'll be 42 stone by the end of it.''
As for their Waitiri Creek gig - which has almost sold out - the band had ‘‘come to party''.
‘‘We expect everyone to come and party with us.''
Featuring the British band's original members Campbell, Terrence ‘‘Astro'' Wilson and Mickey Virtue, the tour has already taken them around the North Island.
After Queenstown they will play in Waipara, North Canterbury, before heading north again for their final show, near Auckland.
Campbell said they were chuffed to visit the resort for the first time, but would not be jumping off bridges or out of planes.
Apart from a ride up the gondola today, they were keen to sample some Central Otago pinot noir.
‘‘It's some of the best in the world, without a doubt. It wasn't 20 years ago, but we've watched that whole New Zealand wine thing grow.''
Campbell has not spoken to his two brothers in eight years, since he split from the original band in 2008.
They have continued touring and releasing albums under the band's name, but he refers to the ‘‘other'' UB40 as the ‘‘dark side''.
It was embarrassing to see his brother Duncan ‘‘destroying my songs'', but the public were voting with their feet, he said.
‘‘You've got your original singers, and then a bunch of tribute singers.‘‘Which one would you go and see? We're playing stadiums and they're playing pub tours.''
The band plays at Waitiri Creek Winery, Gibbston, tomorrow from 5pm. Fans can expect to hear hits including Kingston Town, (I Can't Help) Falling in Love With You and I Got You Babe, as well as tracks from their new album, Silhouette.
