AUCKLAND – New Zealand musician Sir Dave Dobbyn is scheduled to perform a one-night-only concert at the Auckland Civic Theatre on July 25. The “Selected Songs Encore” event follows the artist’s sold-out “Selected Songs” tour conducted last year.
The performance comes as Dobbyn navigates the professional and personal implications of a Parkinson’s disease diagnosis received in 2022, reflecting a broader intersection of artist longevity, health management and the sustainability of touring careers in an ageing live-music workforce.
For the July 25 engagement, Dobbyn will be supported by an eight-piece band, which includes his son, Eli Dobbyn, on percussion. The concert is being staged under standard venue safety and accessibility requirements that apply to large public events in New Zealand, including obligations set out in the [Health and Safety at Work Act] for organisers, employers and contractors working around the production.
The venue, a 96-year-old theatre, served as the inspiration for Dobbyn’s 1993 song “Palace.” Dobbyn described the location as being “almost like a church” for him, noting that it evokes “wonderful nostalgic feelings” regarding his early years traveling to the city via diesel buses. The Civic, which is operated by Auckland Live on behalf of Auckland Council, is regarded as a key piece of civic cultural infrastructure, with bookings such as Dobbyn’s concert contributing to the city’s broader arts and events calendar.
Health Management and Performance Pacing
Since his 2022 diagnosis, Dobbyn has implemented a modified approach to his professional schedule. He stated that he must pace himself and participates in boxing lessons with other individuals living with Parkinson’s to maintain camaraderie and physical conditioning, aligning with widely recommended exercise-based management of the condition.
Dobbyn has specifically highlighted the impact of the condition on his cognitive functions.
“I think the most annoying part is the cognitive troubles. Some days, I can’t put a sentence together and finish it because I’ll forget what I was talking about. That could be just an age thing, but I’m pretty sure it’s a Parkinson’s symptom,”
Despite these challenges, Dobbyn continues to develop new musical material. He described his creative process as occurring in sporadic bursts, often when he is in a hurry or leaving a room, necessitating a quick return to the studio to capture the ideas. For fans, the Civic Theatre appearance will effectively serve as a live snapshot of an artist choosing to remain publicly active while adapting to a progressive neurological condition.
Literary Projects and AI Integration
Away from the stage, Dobbyn is currently developing a lyric book containing various anecdotes from his decades-long career. As part of the conceptualization of the project, he utilized artificial intelligence to generate potential titles for the memoir, reflecting the wider experimentation under way across creative industries as artists test consumer-grade AI tools while copyright and content policies continue to evolve under frameworks such as the [EU AI Act].
The AI suggested “Beside You,” referencing his 1998 hit, and “History Never Repeats,” a title associated with the band Split Enz. Dobbyn characterized the latter suggestion as “very funny” and the former as “quite clever.”
Regarding the role of the musician within the community, Dobbyn stated that playing theatres across New Zealand is “bliss” and emphasized the importance of human connection in live performance.
“There’s so much negative stuff around. In fact, most of it is designed to make you feel less than human. Demanding your humanity is an important thing for me, and demanding the best of your humanity,” Dobbyn said.
The “Selected Songs Encore” concert is confirmed for July 25 at the Auckland Civic Theatre.
