Sheryl Crow and Melissa Etheridge Made Us Love Rock All Over Again
It was a wild night out west in Auckland as Sheryl Crow and Melissa Etheridge set out to make rock great again at the Trusts Stadium. The two make for a cracking pop-rock double act and continue their Australasia tour here for three dates. They met on the Michael Jackson 1987 BAD tour and the two […]
Homegrown – Wellington Waterfront April 7, 2018
With 45 acts, five stages and a stunning harbour vistas the Capital’s best day out for music fans promised a great party to close off an exceptional summer. Now in its 11th year this sold out festival has rightly earned its iconic status, alongside Laneway, Rhythm & Vines, the former Big Day Out and Splore, among others. It’s also the best way to see the greatest number of Kiwi bands all in one place. So, did it live up to the reputation? Tim Gruar packed a rain jacket, his notepad and his camera to head along and find out.
The Extraordinary Union of Leisure and the APO
It is not every day you get to see a pop group play with a full orchestra inside a great hall. But that was exactly what an audience of around twelve hundred or so got to witness at the Auckland Town Hall on April 6th 2018, as supergroup Leisure became the latest to partner with […]
Audience Member Cuts Rag’n’Bone Man To The Bone
An Audience member cuts Rag’n’Bone man to the bone at his Auckland concert in Spark Arena… But the booming baritone shut the heckler down like a boss. Perhaps it was a premonition of sorts when, upon entering the evening’s venue, the arena had been halved. Alas, one could argue that a more intimate space was precisely […]
Hockey Dad – Meow April 6, 2018
New South Wales duo Hockey Dad brought an energetic set of summery garage rockers with them to Wellington last night, making up with conviction what they occasionally lacked in originality.
Mastodon & Gojira – Trusts Arena March 31, 2018
This was a show that almost wasn’t. When both bands’ gear failed to arrive in Auckland, it looked like the concert would be cancelled, but local bands saved the day by providing instruments and other equipment to both Mastodon and Gojira in order to make the show happen. The 13th Floor’s Shelley Ta Haara and […]
Ghost Wave – Basement Theatre March 31, 2018
It is an uncertain time for small music venues in Auckland. A lack of support for the arts by Auckland Council, venues closing, and gentrification driving rent prices up have kept owners and fans alike nervous as to what the future holds for live music. This is why it is important to support venues like […]
Dictaphone Blues & Eyes No Eyes – Wine Cellar March 29, 2018
What better way to prepare for the holiday weekend than spending time with Dictaphone Blues and Eyes No Eyes at Auckland’s Wine Cellar?
An intimate evening with Vance Joy
There were a few lumps in the throat as Mr Riptide himself Vance Joy treated the Tuning Fork faithful to an intimate solo acoustic set.
Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit – Powerstation March 27, 2018
In 2014 Jason Isbell and his band put on one of the finest shows I’ve seen when they sold out The Tuning Fork. Four years later and Isbell and his 400 Unit returned, this time to The Powerstation, to prove that their previous show was no fluke.
Carnivorous Plant Society and Hopetoun Brown kick off Titirangi Festival
Wind and rain is all part of the charm for living in Titirangi so the wet weather had little impact on the crowd that came to watch Carnivorous Plant Society and Hopetoun Brown perform at the Titirangi War Memorial Hall and close out Day 1 of the Titirangi Festival.
A Tribe Called Red: Nightclubbing Around the World in 90 minutes
Indigenous Canadian duo A Tribe Called Red have been creating some of the most thrilling political work over the last five years and their performance at the Auckland Arts Festival last night was an absolute privilege to witness.
The Queen of Sitar, Anoushka Shankar, and her Land of Gold
Indian classical and progressive sitar virtuoso Anoushka Shankar performed compositions from her album Land of Gold at the Festival Playground Music Arena on March 18 2018. Shankar was accompanied by percussionist and Hang player Manu Delago.
Big Country Stormed The Studio And Won!
Big Country – The Studio, Auckland, March 24th 2018 Celebrating the 35th anniversary of The Crossing Big Country finished their Australasian tour in fine form in Auckland last night to the glee of the packed house at The Studio.
No Band or Flashy Dancers, Ed Sheeran & His Guitar Packs Mt Smart Stadium!
Ed Sheeran, Mt Smart Stadium March 24 2018 Ed Sheeran’s NZ Divide Tour – a fine reminder that just because Sheeran makes doing what he does look easy, it doesn’t, not even for a second, mean that it is. The ginger ninja’s return to the country was just as impressive as it was heartfelt.
Mick Jenkins & The Underachievers Win Crowd With Charisma & Confidence
Mick Jenkins & The Underachievers, Powerstation March 21 2018 After impressing fans at Laneway last year with his enthusiastic and hit-fuelled set, Chicago rapper Mick Jenkins returned down under to play to a packed Powerstation in Auckland last night. With support from Brooklyn underground rap duo The Underachievers, this was the first of two shows […]
Prophets Of Rage – Spark Arena March 20, 2018
On a beautiful, sunny Tuesday, the Prophets of Rage tore apart Auckland’s Spark Arena with their loud, aggressive and rehashed nu metal and alternative rap rock and showed the men in the White House that they were not taking any of their shit. But really? Are they really needed? Are they relevant?
LAUV – The Powerstation March 19, 2018
LAUV brought his I Met You When I Was 18 World Tour To Auckland’s Powerstation last night. The 13th Floor’s Shelley Te Haara was there.
WOMAD 2018: Day 3
WOMAD 2018 has come to an end. Michael Flynn and Tim Gruar document the final day of this year’s festival with pictures and words.
WOMAD 2018: Day 2
Here’s Michael Flynn and Tim Gruar with photos and reviews from Day 2 of WOMAD 2018 in New Plymouth.