Too Many Chiefs - Spontaneous Combustion

Too Many Chiefs are singer/songwriters Rob Joass, Andrew London, Wayne Mason and Charlotte Yates. All tour their own respective shows, sometimes internationally, but occasionally come together in Too Many Chiefs to share songs and stories from the road. Their individual influences and performing styles range from blues and jazz to country and folk, often with an element of social commentary, personal reflection and occasional satire. Sometimes the story becomes an epic and the song becomes the punchline, and the chemistry can provide unpredictable results. You will want to be able to say you were there!

A founder member of Hot Club Sandwich and The Cattlestops, and now playing and recording mostly under his own name, Andrew London’s reputation stands mostly on his satirical and comedic songs which lampoon many of New Zealand society’s obsessions, foibles and taboos.

Rob Joass is well known throughout New Zealand through his work with The Shot Band, The Hard Core Troubadours and Hobnail who are zeroing in on 30 years as a touring and recording entity.

Patriarch of the group Wayne Mason has been instrumental (ha) in the formation and success of some of the most revered names in Kiwi music history, namely Rocking Horse, the Fourmyula and the Warratahs. Wayne penned the song ‘Nature’in 1969, named by APRA in 2004 as ‘Best Kiwi Song of the Century’.

Charlotte Yates has released seven of her own solo albums, alongside extensive collaborative and compilation work. In 2000 She directed and produced Baxter, a compilation CD of James K Baxter's poetry set to music by twelve NZ recording artists, and has since completed similar projects honouring Hone Tuwhare, Witi Ihimaera and Katherine Mansfield.

The quartet’s collective repertoire represents a broad spectrum of songwriting styles, and the songs are delivered with skill, enthusiasm and respect, despite the aforementioned healthy dose of spontaneous mickey-taking banter and self-deprecating humour.

‘Mates on the road rolling out top quality songwriting and musicianship with lashings of irony and humour’ - East Auckland Times May 2014.