Auckland Enters a Historic Week of Heavy Music — Ding Dong Lounge Becomes the City’s Metal Afterburner

Auckland is about to shake, rattle, and roar. From Tuesday 18 November through Sunday 23 November, Ding Dong Lounge is the ultimate late-night destination for metalheads and rock fans, keeping the city’s heavy music pulse alive long after the stadium lights dim at Eden Park and Spark Arena.

Tuesday 18 November – Suicidal Tendencies Unofficial After Party

Punk, skate, and crossover energy rule the night with free entry for fans still buzzing from the Powerstation.

Wednesday 19 November – Metallica Unofficial Pre-Show Warm-Up & After Party

From 4PM, DJ Drew Bang spins thrash and heavy metal classics at Ding Dong Lounge. Booths available for booking until 5PM Tuesday. At midnight, Neural Decay (Brad Ion, Junior Grant, Jake Single, Pablo Retamales Bustamante) tear into thrash mayhem upstairs at Dead Witch. Presales $15, door $20.

Thursday 20 November – Jam Night & Open Decks

Open to musicians and DJs alike, Thursday is a community-driven night with rock, metal, punk, and alternative jams at Dead Witch, while Ding Dong Lounge hosts open decks for local rock DJs — free entry.

Friday 21 November – Live at Dead Witch

Local heavyweights Soul Stroke, Obsidian Tomb, and Letra Luna take the Dead Witch stage, backed by heavy alt/metal DJs The Doctor and Bendezu in the main bar. $5 entry at Ding Dong Lounge or $15 for Dead Witch show.

Gideon Voon performing at Ding Dong Lounge with his band Shepherds Reign in October 2025

Saturday 22 November – Tool Unofficial Pre-Show Warm-Up & After Party

From 4PM–8PM, DJ Drew Bang spins alt-metal and prog for free entry (booths available until 5PM Friday). Then My Generation: Early 2000s Rock & Nu Metal keeps the energy rolling — $10 presale, $15 door. From 11pm, the Tool Unofficial After Party with DJ Drew Bang and DJ Trix, plus a special midnight set from Gideon Voon and Corey Friedlander upstairs at Dead Witch. Presales $15, door $20.

Sunday 23 November – Tool Unofficial After Party II

DJ Not Blitz Da Maori spins at Ding Dong Lounge from 10pm with a midnight performance from Gideon Voon & Corey Friedlander at Dead Witch — $15 presale, $20 door.

Corey Friedlander performs with Shepherds Reign at Amped Up, Brewtown, Upper Hutt in October 2025

Spotlight on the Musicians

Corey Friedlander has been at the forefront of New Zealand metal since joining 8 Foot Sativa at 17, shaping live shows and international tours before expanding his drumming legacy across City of Souls, In Dread Response, and Shepherds Reign. Gideon Voon’s guitar work in Shepherds Reign has propelled the band onto global stages, winning multiple Pacific Music Awards and playing shows alongside The Hu and Disturbed. Together, their midnight sets at Dead Witch promise intricate riffs, double-kick assaults, and pure instru-metal intensity.

Meanwhile, Neural Decay deliver thrash fury inspired by the Big Four — Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth, Anthrax — with an energetic, bouncy approach for fans of Sepultura and Exodus.

Heavy music in Auckland! - Metal Afterburner

After the main stage closes at Eden Park, Spark Arena and Powerstation, Ding Dong Lounge becomes the city’s metal afterburner — hosting DJs, live sets, and the bands that define Auckland’s heavy scene. Following years of pandemic restrictions and CBD disruptions, this week marks a major revival for the venue, local musicians, and the community that built it.

Venue & Tickets

Ding Dong Lounge, 26 Wyndham Street, Auckland Central. R18. Booths for warm-ups available to book in advance. Presales recommended for after parties — door sales not guaranteed if capacity is reached. Tickets and booth bookings are available online at www.dingdongloungenz.com