The Lads are a New Zealand band based in the United States, active since the early 1990s. They have performed at numerous church services, youth events, camps, and high schools throughout Australia and New Zealand. Prior to relocating to America, The Lads gained popularity at the Parachute Music Festival, performing at every festival from its inception until 2007, with the exception of 2006. In August 2010, they announced via Facebook their return to New Zealand for Parachute 2011, marking their first concert in the country in four years. Alongside their live tours across the United States, The Lads produce a television show that is broadcast on various TV stations worldwide.
The show utilizes the band's humor to convey important life principles to children, featuring episodes set in their headquarters and their favorite hangout, Murray's Milk Bar. Each episode concludes with a monologue from Murray about the week's theme, followed by a live performance from the band.
The founding members of The Lads include Mark Millard (vocals/trombone/saxophone/drums), Steve King (drums/vocals), Chris White (keyboards/trumpet/vocals), Bennett "Ben" Knowles (bass/vocals), and Paul Cotton (guitar/vocals). These members grew up together in Wellington, New Zealand, at the Wellington South Salvation Army church. While most of the founding members were born and raised in New Zealand, Paul Cotton was born in Canada and moved to New Zealand at the age of 12, resulting in his distinctive Canadian accent. He is also the older brother of TrueBliss singer Joe Cotton.
Initially, the band began writing songs for enjoyment and were known simply as "Lads." Their trajectory changed with the success of their second album, "Arbor Day," which led to a series of number one hits on Christian radio in Australia and New Zealand. This success allowed them to headline major Christian festivals across both countries. In their early performances, there was no designated lead vocalist; instead, all members except Paul shared vocal duties. By the release of "Lost @ Sea," Mark had become the primary lead vocalist, with Chris and Ben occasionally taking the lead on select tracks. Notably, Ben performed "Understand" from the "Lost @ Sea" album, a song that received significant radio airplay in New Zealand and was later featured on the TV show "Dawson's Creek." The song "Alone" was also included in the show's lineup.
In 1998, The Lads' album "Lost @ Sea" won the award for Best Gospel Album at the New Zealand Music Awards, a feat they repeated with their 2001 album "Marvel." Prior to recording "Marvel," Paul Cotton departed the group to pursue a teaching career. However, he contributed to the songwriting for some tracks on that album. Rimu Tahu from Royal Rumble temporarily stepped in as the live guitarist, while Paul was permanently replaced by Matt Chapman, who recorded "Marvel" but later developed RSI and was succeeded by Bjorn Bennett in late 2003.
Following their self-titled sixth album, "The Lads," the band began shifting their focus to a younger audience. After several tours in the U.S., they aimed to penetrate a larger market by relocating to the United States in 2005. During this transitional phase, Chris and Bennett chose to leave the band and return to New Zealand. Bjorn’s older brother Kristian filled in on bass for the initial performances in the U.S. but has not been formally replaced; the band now employs loops and backtracks to cover instruments left vacant by departing members. Kristian currently performs in a new iteration of Royal Rumble alongside Rimu Tahu. Chris continues to contribute creatively and lyrically and appears in live footage from the "Live at The Thunderdome" DVD. Paul has also made guest appearances during performances in Wellington, New Zealand, during tours.
In 2010, Bjorn left the band to pursue music with his wife, Tara, although he continues to appear in cartoon form on promotional materials and videos during live performances. He was succeeded by Tim Smith, who can be seen in the "Live at Thunderdome" DVD and in Season 2 of "The Lads" TV show, but he has since returned to New Zealand and has not been formally replaced.
Currently, The Lads are involved in a worship series titled "Big Big Worship," which features songs recorded by the band, as well as contributions from Hannah O and Cool Worship Kids, Steve and Mark's children.
