PJ Harvey – Logan Campbell Centre January 24, 2017
Like Nick Cave before her, PJ Harvey eschewed an opening act, with her and her very impressive 9-piece band carrying the full load. And the end of the night it was clear…PJ Harvey is one a very few artists will to challenge herself and her audience, in the process making the best music of […]
Alexisonfire – Powerstation January 23, 2017
After splitting up five years ago, Canadian rockers Alexisonfire are back together and touring down under. Their show at Auckland’s Powerstation found them picking up right where they left off.
Dinosaur Jr – The Studio January 23, 2017
Thirty years ago, Dinosaur Jr wrote the manual on fuzzy impressionistic downer rock. While it’s been subtlety rewritten over the course of 11 studio albums, the most important aspect of a Dinosaur Jr record has been the mood that seems to permeate all of them. The longevity of Dinosaur Jr can be just as much […]
The Prophet Hens – Freida Margolis January 21, 2017
Dunedin quartet The Prophet Hens rolled into Auckland on this Saturday night bringing both the sound and the weather of their hometown as wind and rain lashed at the front awning of Freida Margolis in Grey Lynn.
The Ruby Suns – REC (January 21, 2017)
Whoever is organising the gigs at REC is doing a top-notch job. After three sold out shows of Conan Moccasin, New Zealand’s own sleaze-funk prince, this Saturday they hosted indie-pop stalwarts The Ruby Suns.
The Mockers – Powerstation January 20, 2017
After a brief, 30 year break, The Mockers returned to Auckland’s Powerstation, the second stop on their 8-date reunion tour. There was what appeared to be a full house on hand to greet them, cheering and singing along like it was 1985.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – Vector Arena January 18, 2017
Well, for a lot of folks the 2017 concert season began tonight with Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds’ show at Auckland’s Vector Arena. And so stunning, so powerfully moving a show it was, that it might very well be the last show of 2017 for all intents and purposes.
Passenger – Civic Theatre January 17, 2017
Love was in the air at Auckland’s Civic Theatre as Passenger returned to share his/their latest album with a couple thousand adoring fans.
My Baby – The Kings Arms January 13, 2017
With summer finally seeming to arrive in Auckland, at least temporarily, Dutch trio My Baby kept the heat turned up at The Kings Arms on this Friday The 13th eve.
Lake Street Dive – Tuning Fork January 11, 2017
It’s a new year and its been several weeks since an overseas act has visited Auckland, so it’s no surprise that the Tuning Fork was sold out on this Wednesday night. It might also have to do with the fact that Lake Street Dive have cultivated quite a following in this country, performing here […]
Rhythm & Alps – Robrosa Station December 31, 2016
The organizers behind Rhythm & Alps have sent along this report and a swag of photos, so we thought we’d share them with you… Music superstars and 7000 revellers rang in 2017 at the South Island’s biggest New Year’s party and music festival, Rhythm & Alps, last night.
The 13th Floor’s Top Concerts of 2016
Its time to look back at the previous year’s live shows and choose our Top 10 concerts of 2016. The 13th Floor has posted hundreds of concert reviews over the year along with thousands of photos. This list was generated by Marty Duda so, only shows that he attended himself are under consideration, but that […]
Wondergarden Festival – Silo Park December 31, 2016
After ringing in 28 or so New Years Eves in or around the Coromandel, I thought it befitting that I spend my first New Years Eve in the urban jungle of Auckland at its very first Wondergarden Festival at Silo Park.
Gillian Welch & Dave Rawlings – Civic Theatre January 28, 2016
Gillian & Dave. For many, this was the show they waited 12 years for. That’s how long it’s been since Gillian Welch and Dave Rawlings performed in New Zealand. The vibe outside the Civic was similar to when Nick Cave performed his solo shows there a couple of years ago. Sure, the music was different, […]
Lou Barlow – The Kings Arms January 23, 2016
Lou Barlow has been a fairly regular visitor to our shores over the past few years, as a member of Dinosaur Jr and Sebadoh, and as a solo performer. This overfamiliarity may explain the somewhat sparse crowd that turned out on a Saturday night at Auckland’s Kings Arms, which is a shame because Barlow […]
Adam Lambert – Auckland Town Hall January 22, 2016
Adam Lambert, talent-show runner-up and ersatz Freddie Mercury, managed a rather difficult task last night, shoehorning an arena show into a theatre-sized setting. The last time Lambert was in town, a year and a half ago as Queen’s latest jobbing frontman, he played the Vector Arena; his management, presumably, decided that he couldn’t quite fill […]
Viet Cong – The Kings Arms January 21, 2016
It seems January gigs at The Kings Arms hold a special kind of charm. Often the venue is hot, sweaty and jam-packed with fans anxious to start the new year off in a rock and roll frenzy. On this particular evening the weather wasn’t so hot, the room not so packed, but the band was […]
Le1F – Neck Of The Woods January 16, 2016
New York City rapper Le1f (aka Khalif Diouf) performed at Auckland’s Neck Of The Woods last night and photographer Ren Kirk was there to capture the action. Click on any image to view a photo gallery of the show:
The 1975 – Auckland Town Hall January 15, 2016
There is little need for a review of The 1975’s concert at Auckland’s Town Hall last night — I’m not entirely sure an objective review is even possible. The audience — overwhelmingly female, predominantly aged between about 15 and 25 — were not there to engage with the show on any kind of objective, rational level; […]
Plum Green & Jennifer Kingwell – Wine Cellar, 15 January 2016
After orienting myself in a new wine cellar layout – having wondered if the inevitable current gentrification of the iconic St Kevin’s Arcade had spread like a tumour to the unique labyrinthine subterranean recesses of my favorite bar in NZ – I stumbled into a sauna-like space with a paucity of fire-escape options and a […]