'We are the champions, my friends
'And we'll keep on fighting 'til the end

'We are the champions
'We are the champions.”

The lyrics to the iconic Queen song are fitting not only for New Zealand's fight against COVID-19 but also the live music scene.

Aotearoa is one of the only places in the world able to hold unrestricted live gigs, and for the band Villainy, it means they can do their first nationwide tour in close to 18 months.

The song is also significant because Villainy singer and guitarist Neill Fraser grew up listening to Queen, Guns and Roses and Michael Jackson - Queen's Greatest Hits II album was one of only a few CDs his family owned.

These musical stalwarts fostered his love of music and the desire to perform.

'The allure of being able to perform and have an impact on people in that way, it's really magical and really unique.”

The 34-year-old grew up during the 80s and 90s. This meant if people wanted a sound experience they had to go to a show and buy the record or CD, he says.

'I think that's still really true today. We love playing live and being on stage in front of real people is a hundred times or a thousand times more rewarding than doing it on a live stream or something.”

Live music has shaped his artistry, attending numerous Big Day Out festivals and The Prodigy gigs made him realise music 'could have an edge and be dangerous”.

When Neill was seven his family inherited a piano and as children do, he decided he needed to play it and demanded lessons.

The Tauranga born musician picked up a guitar at age 15 after watching a Smashing Pumpkins concert on TV. He says their 90s music is the reason he wanted to play rock.

Villainy formed in 2010 and are one of New Zealand's prominent rock bands having won a NZ music award for Best Rock Album/Artist three times.

Like all of us, the band's four members paid their dues in 2020 with gigs and a tour being cancelled but it hasn't all been bad.

They spent their time during the first lockdown making content remotely by doing acoustic versions of their songs, recording their individual parts then mixing them together over the internet

'Thankfully music is something that you can do anywhere, anytime, whether you're by yourself or with a group of people. '

Neill says they tried to use their time during lockdown wisely and there should be new music that comes out of it, that they'll take to the studio.

Villainy's summer tour will feature music from the EP ‘Beggar' they put out in March 2020, with promises to put all of their pent up energy into the shows.

'We're going to bring a big production, bring a rock show that people can get involved in and get loose and have a good night.”

They are playing at Totara Street on February 20.