Stubs: #150 – Gomez, Wellington, 2012
I was never really a Gomez fan, but it’s not that I dislike them at all either – their music was never a big deal for me, but I remember when they were “discovered” and talked up as something special,...
View ArticleStubs: #152 – Jan Preston’s Life and Music of Winifred Atwell, Wellington, 2010
One time, many years ago Jan Preston called me up and imposed an interview on me – she was a special kind of self-promoter, and I was very new to music writing and felt bamboozled but couldn’t say no...
View ArticleStubs: #153 – Young @ Heart Chorus, Wellington, 2010
I had enjoyed the documentary film, Young @ Heart – when I had written about it I had been mocked somewhat for not being cynical towards it, maybe it was the time/place when I saw it, but I liked it;...
View ArticleStubs: #154 – Garbage, Wellington, 2013
Geez, I went and saw Garbage – second time. I saw them back in the day, back when they only had one album – and then I went and saw them a couple of years ago. They’re now clinging to the anniversary...
View ArticleStubs: #156 – Together In Concert: Tim Finn Dave Dobbyn Bic Runga,...
The first Finn/Runga/Dobbyn tour was a huge success – but I thought it was something of a disaster and when they announced there’d be a 10th Anniversary version I figured it would be a massive success...
View ArticleGig Review: Neil Finn Solo w/ Strings (October 13, Wgtn)
Neil Finn Solo w/ Strings Opera House Tuesday, October 13 Neil Finn has been one of New Zealand music’s elder statesmen for some time now – it might be a role he’s finally comfortable with. Certainly...
View ArticleStubs: #157 – Reece Mastin, Wellington, 2013
I was getting these phone calls from someone claiming to be the manager of Reece Mastin – I ignored them. There was a message or two, and a few extra missed calls – this in the lead up to his gig, his...
View ArticleStubs: #158 – The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain, Wellington, 2013
The nicest thing I can say, really, about The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain is that they are not the shitty, horrible Kiwi version. That said, at least the NZ Uke Orchestra (can’t believe I’m...
View ArticleGig Review: The Fall (October 18, Wgtn)
The Fall Bodega Sunday, October 18 Some seventy members have passed through The Fall and its various line-ups, the one constant being Mark E. Smith chewing on consonants, spitting out the remnants of...
View ArticleGig Review: Laura Marling (October 23, Akld)
Laura Marling The Powerstation, Auckland Friday, October 23 Laura Marling’s latest album, Short Movie, is fantastic – but you could be worried she didn’t think so, barely choosing from it to fill her...
View ArticleStubs: #162 – Morcheeba, 2014
I never cared for Morcheeba – at all. I liked a lot of the stuff around them but just never gave them much notice. Probably because working in music stores in the late 90s and early 2000s it was smart...
View ArticleGig Review: Robbie Williams (October 31, Wgtn)
Robbie Williams Basin Reserve Saturday, October 31 The whole chav-made-good, I’m grinning-so-I-must-be-winning shtick is tiresome – and it must be tiring. The fact that he can barely aim anywhere near...
View ArticleStubs: #165 – Billy Bragg, Wellington, 2014
There aren’t many people I’ve seen more than once where I can say that every gig was great and each one was (noticeably, crucially) different. But Billy Bragg is one. For sure. Seen him three times...
View ArticleStubs: #166 – Tony Joe White, Wellington, 2013
Seeing Tony Joe White back in the late 1990s – and I told you about that, still have the stub – was quite the revelation. I knew of him, knew a bit of his music, and was excited to see him. But it was...
View ArticleStubs: #168 – Rhian Sheehan, Wellington, 2013
I’ve written about Rhian Sheehan a bunch of times here – including already as part of ‘Stubs’. This show though, was a real special one – I loved it – it was the first (and at this stage only) live...
View ArticleStubs: #169 – Bic Runga and Tiny Ruins, Wellington, 2015
Look, it was nice – and I said so – but immediately afterward I thought that it was quite a ‘soft’ gig. Which was probably what they were intending, but just safe, really. A bit dull, all up. But then,...
View ArticleGig Review: Susan Alcorn (November 19, Wgtn)
Susan Alcorn MEOW Wednesday, November 19 Baltimore-based Susan Alcorn has lifted the pedal steel guitar up and away from country music. You can still hear that weepy quality, that yearning in her...
View ArticleStubs: #170 – Hugh Laurie, Wellington, 2014
Hugh Laurie singing Dr. John is like John Key serving a romantic dinner – however well-intentioned you just can’t feel comfortable with the end result. That was (part of) what I said in my review. And...
View ArticleGig Review: DJ Yella (November 20, Wgtn)
DJ Yella San Fran Thursday, November 20 DJ Yella (b. Antoine Carraby) was a founding member of N.W.A something that is suddenly of interest what with the movie to ride on. Cue: DJ Yella back on stage...
View ArticleGig Review: Chris Cornell (November 23, Wgtn)
Chris Cornell MFC Monday, November 23 As with Chris Cornell’s previous show in the same venue (four years ago – Cornell didn’t seem to remember being here previously) he had the songs from his old...
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