Concert Review: Vetna with Hexcut and theskyisthinaspaperhere
Where: The Cube, Bristol, United Kingdom.When: 15th April 2023 Last Saturday Vetna was supported by Hexcut and theskyisthinaspaperhere at the Cube Microplex, bringing with them the future of live electronic instrumentation. I arrived at the Cube around 6 pm after meandering into town. You could easily miss the non-profit nestled away off Bristol’s busier streets.…
concert review: Khruangbin & Kamasi Washington
Where: Spark Arena, Auckland, New Zealand.When: 6th December 2022 Words are going to struggle here. High-rising trio Khruangbin performed the last show of their ‘First Class World Tour’ last night in Tāmaki Makaurau with support from Kamasi Washington. On a drizzly evening, passing a wave of Spark merch and staff at 6.30 pm, we ambled…
concert review: Jakob
Where: The Tuning Fork, Auckland, New Zealand.When: 4th June 2022 I confess, this review comes from a Jakob loyalist. There were a lot of us last night at the Tuning Fork to see Jeff, Jason and Maurice play a one-off show of their seminal album Solace, with support from Proteins of Magic. To my surprise,…
Concert Review: Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats
Where: Whammy! Bar, Auckland, New Zealand.When: 6th March 2022 Uncle Acid & the Deadbeats are mind twisters. They ripped through Whammy! Bar’s ears last night with their unique blend of heavy, doom metal with a 60s psychedelic rock edge. Last playing in Aotearoa in 2014, the Englanders have gone from strength to strength producing five…
Concert Review: Alice In Chains Encapsulated Auckland With Rainer Fog
Where: The Trust Arena, Auckland NZWhen: 07 Mar 2019 Joined briefly by Chad Smith and Josh Klinghoffer from The Red Hot Chili Peppers and supported by Jakob, Alice in Chains took to The Trust Arena stage last Thursday night for a blast back to a grungier past. Thirty-one years since their last visit, the night gave a hungry crowd a satisfactory mix of new and old…
Dance Review: The World Premiere Of As It Stands
Where: ASB Waterfront, Auckland NZWhen: 08 Mar 2019 The dance performance by Arts Laureate Ross McCormack presented the world premiere of As It Stands on Friday night at the ASB Waterfront Theatre. Inspired by the prolific American sculptor Richard Serra, the “show places eight world-class dancers in a majestic sculptural landscape.” The sculpture that inspired McCormack’s work was the Te Tuhirangi Contour at Gibbs Farm next to…
Concert Review: Being A Part Of The Environmental Revolution At The Okura Forest Festival
Where: Okura Bush Reserve, Auckland NZWhen: 16 Feb 2019 Last Saturday, tucked away on Auckland’s North Shore, a colourful palette of harem pants, straw hats, devil sticks and sun-kissed faces cruised into Okura Forest Festival. One of only three bush reserves of its kind in the North Island, the sunny day paid homage to environmental sustainability,…
Concert review: Fat Freddy’s Drop Brings The Sun To Western Springs
Where: Western Springs, Auckland, New Zealand.When: 18th February 2020 With summer comes Fat Freddy’s Drop. Blistering blue skies met the thousands who descended on to Western Springs over the weekend to hear them perform alongside Logg Cabin & Printor, Troy Kingi, Ladi6, Norman Jay, MC Silva and Unknown Mortal Orchestra. Greeting the early birds at 3 pm was MC Slave’s Logg Cabin & Printor. Their set echoed over…
Album Review: Steve Gunn – The Unseen In Between (Matador Records)
Steve Gunn gave everyone at the Tuning Fork in Auckland last year a taste of his new fourth album The Unseen In Between. The evening was a humbling experience wrought with emotional tension that paid tribute to the likes of Jack Rose, Michael Chapman and his father. The Brooklyn-based artist’s 45-minute medley paints a picture of an alternative American frontier,…
Concert Review: Boogie With The Best At A Summer’s Day Disco
Where: ASB Baypark, Tauranga NZWhen: 10 Jan 2019 The Breeze and Neptune Entertainment brought a lineup of disco legends that drew people from all over the country and the world to ASB Baypark in Mt. Maunganui. On the back of TOTO, Jefferson Starship and Dragon playing the night before, Sounds of the Supremes, Sister Sledge, The Village People, The Pointer Sisters, Kool & the Gang and The Jacksons played a fiery stream of…
Concert Review: The Magic Of Synthony
Where: Auckland Town HallWhen: 14 Sep 2018 The Auckland Symphony Orchestra, George FM, and Spark joined forces again for two sold-out shows of Synthony. This unique alliance of organisers saw the Auckland Town Hall become a musky rave pit, fully equipped with lasers, DJs and classical musicians. In its second year running, Synthony melds the orchestration of the Auckland Symphony with…
Concert Review: Was The Experiment A Cluster F**k?
Where: Whammy Bar, The Wine Cellar & BackroomWhen: 03 August 2018 Two of Auckland’s most gigged venues, Whammy Bar and The Wine Cellar merged over the weekend as part of The Experiment. The international arts and music festival was brought to both Auckland and Melbourne by Monster Valley, a free event showcasing “bands, painters, performers, installation artists, and a plethora of…
Henry Appleyard 