Neil Diamond – Auckland’s Vector Arena 26 February 2011
After a week of live music from Queens Of The Stone Age, Tricky, Amanda Palmer, Gang Of Four and Don McLean, Neil Diamond may not be the hippest ticket in town, but it certainly featured the most hits. I went along to see Diamond (for the first time) expecting to know just about every song […]
Don McLean – Aotea Centre, 24 February 2011
It’s rather incredible to think that it’s been 40 years since Don McLean’s American Pie was released on the public, instantly becoming one of the iconic songs of the 1970s and coining the phrase, “the day the music died”. I first saw McLean play live in 1976 when I was at University. He was an […]
Amanda Palmer: Kings Arms Auckland Feb. 23, 2011
The Christchurch earthquake almost kept Amanda Palmer from getting to Auckland. It was only due to a late plane that Palmer missed being caught in Christchurch on Tuesday when the deadly quake hit. Instead she played a ninja show in Napier and arrived in Auckland at 8pm on Wednesday, just hours before she hit the […]
Tricky: Live At The Powerstation: Trip Flop 22 February 2011
Tricky may have been a hot commodity back in 1994 when Trip Hop was the current rage, but in 2011, the sparse crowd at The Powerstation proved that his pulling power has diminished over the years. Judging by his performance, the fans who stayed away probably made the right move. The Knowle West Boy took […]
Queens Of The Stone Age In Auckland
Well, Josh Homme and band rolled into Auckland for their first show since October. Activities got underway early in the day. At 12:30 they gathered at Real Groovy Records for a press conference. All five members of the band were sitting at a table while about 20 “journalists” and a crowd of fans asked […]
Melvins Live At The Kings Arms, Auckland
The tiny Kings Arms was packed to the rafters on this hot, humid Saturday night as The Melvins rocked the crowd of just under 700 fans. It’s been a while since the veteran sludge-metal band toured New Zealand and they’ve gone through a few changes since they were last here. Singer/ guitarist Buzz Osborne […]
Lloyd Cole Concert Review Feb. 5, 2011
Mercury Theatre Auckland Lloyd Cole is a frequent visitor to New Zealand; he seems to show up every two years or so, playing acoustic versions of his beautifully heartbroken songs. With his fiftieth birthday just a week in the past, he’s looking a bit greyer and a tad chubbier, but then, so are his fans. […]