Super fan’s obsession

If you ask Auckland-based Karl Lock why he spends so much of his life at concerts, he’ll tell you, ‘‘nobody winds up on their deathbed wishing they had seen less live music’’.

Since moving to Auckland from New Plymouth in 1997, the 47-yearold says he has been to ‘‘well over’’ 3000 concerts, saying he averages about two shows a week.

Lock is the first to admit that his job – manager for JB HIFI music, movies and games – affords him the perk of seeing a lot of bands for free. But he’s still forked out cash for plenty, and saves to travel internationally at least once a year. ‘‘Normally I do a bit of a road trip by myself [overseas], and see as many bands as I can. When I’m by myself I don’t need to justify what I’m seeing. Absolutely, it’s an obsession.’’

When it comes to favourites, he’s seen Bruce Springsteen a ‘‘bunch of times’’ and last year travelled to the US to see Robert Plant and Alison Krauss play three times. While there he also saw

Kentucky musician Chris Stapleton twice and parody artist Weird Al Yankovic.

He caught iconic artists Prince and David Bowie before they died and has visited iconic venues such as LA’s legendary Troubadour to see Steve Earle play and even caught Kanye West’s Jesus is King opera at the Hollywood Bowl.

‘‘I’ve got no interest in Kanye West,’’ he says. ‘‘But we saw this opera about Jesus because it was at the Hollywood bowl ... I’d rather see a band I don’t like live, than not see a band that night.’’

Lock’s obsession started as a kid. He inherited a record collection and quickly ‘‘devoured everything’’. But it was his first concert in 1987 when Crowded House played his hometown of New Plymouth that ‘‘everything suddenly made sense’’.

More than 35 years later, he could ‘‘happily see Crowded House play every day for the rest of my life’’ and went to every show on the band’s 2020 New Zealand tour.

His two children (Hunter, 11 and Jack, 17) are also catching the music bug.