Jimmie Dale Gilmore: From Buddy Holly To The Flatlanders (Interview)
Texas-based singer-songwriter Jimmie Dale Gilmore is just one of many excellent artists to emerge from the Austin music scene. Gilmore got his start in the early 1970’s when he teamed up with his buddies Joe Ely and Butch Hancock to form the now-legendary Flatlanders. They barely released one album in 1972 (it only came out […]
Paul Kelly presents The Merri Soul Sessions – Powerstation April 12, 2015
Paul Kelly brought his troupe of singers and players across the Tasman to light up the night in Auckland with soulful versions of his own tunes along with a few older classics thrown in for good measure. Paul Kelly’s Merri Soul Sessions is the album Paul Kelly recorded and released last year that finds the […]
Ed Sheeran – Vector Arena April 11, 2015
There was plenty of love in the house as English heartthrob Ed Sheeran drew screams of delight from the first of two sold-out crowds at Auckland’s Vector Arena. The floor was jammed with mostly young girls, some of whom had to be carried away by security guards due to the overwhelming thrill of being so […]
Tami Neilson – Tuning Fork April 10, 2015
Tami Neilson headlined an evening of music at Auckland’s Tuning Fork that included a parade of some of New Zealand’s finest songwriters, instrumentalists and vocalists. The evening began with Will Wood, accompanied by the seemingly omnipresent Dave Khan and the multi-talented Reb Fountain. Any one of these three artists is capable of carrying an audience […]
Metal Round-up April 10th 2015
It’s a pretty exciting time of year, with some MASSIVE gigs coming up, and some amazing music sneaking ever closer. This bogan is excited! There has also been some sad news, what with the tour van of KHAOTIKA and WORMREICH crashing with three fatalities, and Scott Kelly of Neurosis fame’s wife becoming gravely ill, so here is a […]
Jurassic 5 – Powerstation April 9, 2015
As the lyric goes in Concrete Playground, “Just that classic rap shit from Jurassic.” And boy did they kill it with their vocalism, with the four MC’s – Chali 2na, Akil, Soup and Marc 7 – serving up a lyrical storm along with some entertaining help from DJ’s Cut Chemist and Nu-Mark. After calling time […]
David Gray – ASB Theatre April 9, 2015
It may not have been the funkiest show to come through Auckland recently, or the most rocking, but I’d have to say that David Gray’s performance at the ASB Theatre was certainly one of the most beautiful. The lights came down at the ASB at 8:53 and David Gray took the stage along with his […]
George Clinton & Parliament/Funkadelic – Powerstation
With over a dozen funksters sharing the stage with him, George Clinton showed the fans at Auckland’s Powerstation exactly how to Tear The Roof Off The Sucker. I saw George and his P=Funk Allstars a few years ago at the Powerstsation, and while I had a good time, I seem to remember that Clinton himself […]
Watch Anika Moa’s 13th Floor Video Session
Anika Moa releases her new album, Queen At The Table, tomorrow. The album marks a change in musical direction for Anika as she and producer Jol Mullholland trade guitars and drums for synths and electronic beats. Anika stopped by The 13th Floor to talk to Marty Duda about Queen At The Table and she had […]
Paul Kelly’s Merri Soul (Interview)
Over the course of the past 40 years or so, Paul Kelly has become, not just one of Australia’s finest songwriters, but one whose work stands up alongside the world’s finest. Kelly’s latest project is The Merri Soul Sessions, where Paul has chosen other Australian vocalists…mostly women…to record his songs. The album has, in turn, […]
Daffodils: Kiwi Music & Theatre Come Together (Interview)
The 13th Floor’s Dedee W sat down with playwright Rochelle Bright, to talk about her play Daffodils, and the power of theatre combined with a really good soundtrack. _____________________________________________ Writing a story based on your own family mythology is no easy feat. Daffodils is based on the true story of how writer Rochelle Bright’s parents […]
Watch The Greenfog 13th Floor Video Session
Greenfog is a three-piece band from Auckland that makes a very big noise. The trio consists of guitarist Elliot Lawless, drummer Rachel Elf and bass player Scott Kendall. They’ve just released a 4-track album on vinyl titled Bruce Farm. It’s a record full of loud, droning doom-metal…at least that’s one way to describe it. The […]
Paolo Nutini – Powerstation
Paolo Nutini is on a roll. The Scottish singer with the Italian name has been picking up momentum ever since the release of his first album, nine years ago. Now that momentum has brought him to Auckland where he is playing two sold-out shows at The Powerstation. The first of those two shows took place […]
Bill Steer of Carcass (Interview)
The 13th Floor’s Tove Partington sat down with Bill Steer of Carcass for a quick chat about music, the upcoming Napalm Death/Carcass tour of New Zealand and life/obsession. Tickets for the upcoming tour are on sale now, you can buy them online here. m/ Tove
Dave & Phil Alvin – The Tuning Fork
The more things change, the more they stay the same. Thirty-three years ago Billy Idol was tearing up the pop charts and taking over MTV while Dave and Phil Alvin were fronting The Blasters, playing unfashionable roots music to relatively tiny crowds. Fast-forward to 2015, a there was Billy Idol, rebel-yelling his way through a […]
Billy Idol & Cheap Trick – Vector Arena
1980’s hit maker Billy Idol rocked a near-capacity crowd at Auckland’s Vector Arena with more than a little help from American power poppers Cheap Trick. First of all, apologies to fans of Aussie rockers The Angels, much as I tried, I was unable to get to the Vector in time to see their set, although […]
Gary Clark Jr – Powerstation
Last time Gary Clark Jr played in Auckland he had about 25 minutes to get his message across. This time around, he took almost two hours to tell his story. That story is one that is based solidly in the blues. Out of the past seven days, I’ve spent six of them at The Powerstation. […]
The Waterboys – ASB Theatre
“I was grounded…. While you filled the skies I was dumbfounded by truth… You cut through lies I saw the rain dirty valley….. You saw Brigadoon I saw the crescent …. You saw the whole of the moon I spoke about wings…. You just flew I wondered I guessed and I tried You just knew” […]
Record Store Day at Southbound Records with live performances from SJD and Don McGlashan.
Live Entertainment! will start at 3pm with a special performance by SJD, celebrating their new album Saint John Divine on CD & LP. Following this at 4.30pm we are excited to announce an acoustic set from Don McGlashan, whose new album Lucky Stars is released on CD the day before, April 17th. Grab a copy and get them […]
Michael Franti & Spearhead – Powerstation March 29, 2015
“Best Sunday night ever!” Obviously, Michael Franti is not a Blackcaps fan, but he and his own fans had a rollicking good time at Auckland’s Powerstation on Sunday night, serving up a set that neither he nor the crowd, wanted to end. Not only did the show run late, it started early…slated to take the […]