Darren Watson

History

Darren Watson was born in Wanganui. His first musical experience was playing drums and trumpet but he soon moved on to guitar and was playing in bars and clubs throughout his years at Hutt Valley High School (1980–83).

In 1985, he formed Chicago Smoke Shop with harmonica player Terry Casey and, although Casey left the band in 1987, the band went on to record two charting LPs and several radio hits. The group was also in big demand as a support act by international touring bands. Between 1987 and 1990, Smoke Shop (the 'Chicago' tag was eventually dropped) opened for NZ tours by Robert Cray (twice), Koko Taylor, George Thorogood, and The Fabulous Thunderbirds.

Since leaving Smoke Shop Watson has recorded four successful albums: King Size (2002), which was nominated for Best Roots Album at the 2003 New Zealand Music Awards, South Pacific Soul (2005) which received favourable reviews from both local and international media, Saint Hilda's Faithless Boy (2010), and Introducing Darren Watson (2014).

In late April 2009 Darren won 1st place in the blues section of the prestigious International Songwriting Competition in Nashville, USA, with his song "All Going Wrong", a cut from South Pacific Soul. Judges for the competition included Tom Waits, James Cotton, John Mayall, and Alligator Records president Bruce Iglauer. Watson has gone on to finish on the 'podium' in 2010, judged in 3rd in the blues category of the International Songwriting Competition for 'Can't Get Enough of You'.

Watson' released Saint Hilda's Faithless Boy in November 2010 on Red Rocks Records. The album was widely praised both in local and overseas media.

In July 2011 Darren was selected to compete at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Tennessee. Previous winners include Sean Costello and Suzan Tedeschi. The event takes place in February 2012.

In Feb. 2012 Darren performed at The Australian Blues Music Festival in Goulburn, New South Wales, and in May of the same year he headlined the Blues on Broadbeach Festival in Queensland.

Watson's fifth solo album Introducing Darren Watson was released on November 7, 2014.

Planet Key

In August 2014, Watson released the single "Planet Key", which satirised the New Zealand prime minister John Key. As the song had been released in the run-up to the 2014 general election, the Electoral Commission advised that the song would be viewed as an electoral programme and therefore could not be played on New Zealand television or radio, nor could it be sold unless it was labelled as an election advertisement.

Watson chose to remove the song from the iTunes store, claiming the commission's advice was censorship. John Key commented that the song and its music video was, "quite professionally done. It was anti-us but as a parody it was okay."

In September, before the general election, Watson took the Electoral Commission to the New Zealand High Court to challenge their advice. Justice Denis Clifford reserved his decision, saying the issues were complex.

On April 2, in a landmark 76 page judgment, Justice Denis Clifford ruled comprehensively in favour of Watson and Jones. Significantly, he held that the Electoral Commission’s interpretation of the legislation: “would impose limits on the right of freedom of expression of the plaintiffs and New Zealand citizens more generally in a manner which… cannot be demonstrably justified in a free and democratic society.”

With Smoke Shop

Guest appearances