GROOVE GUIDE ISSUE 521

THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO SHIT WORTH DOING IN NEW ZEALAND

FREE

NZSO PRESENTS

Wagna Gala Inkinen Festival p11

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p12

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WAIKATO STORIES

HARUKI MURAKAMI

BEST POTATO CHIPS

TUE 02 JUNE - TUE 30 JUNE 2015 . ISSUE 521 . GROOVEGUIDE.CO.NZ

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Shit worth doing music WED 3 JUNE - THU 4 JUNE

THIS MONTH’S TEN MUST SEE MUSIC EVENTS IN NEW ZEALAND

KEY FREE

ALL AGES

LOCAL

TOUR

INT’L

CULT CLASSIC

WED 3 JUNE

A STRANGE DAY’S NIGHT

RANDA & TRIP PONY

TOWN HALL

SAN FRAN

AUCKLAND

WELLINGTON

7PM, $49, TICKETMASTER.CO.NZ

9.30PM

After last year’s great Beatles tribute, this time it’s a night about the dirty, rockin’ Rolling Stones. It’s been 50 years since the Jagger and co played at the Auckland Town Hall, and to celebrate, artists such as Jordan Luck, Dictaphone Blues and various Split Enz members will wiggle their jivin’ butts.

Two of our best take-no-shit talents are teaming up on a joint tour. With Randa’s penchant for turnt up rap visual feasts and Trip Pony’s dreamy, slightly unsettling pop greatness, the only thing that could make this better is grape Nerds. A little birdie tells me they are also available on entry (password permitting).

SAT 6 JUNE

TRINITY ROOTS

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THU11 JUNE

FRI 12 JUNE

THE FERRY ALE HOUSE

DON MCGLASHAN

TOKIMONSTA

CHRISTCHURCH

HOPETOUN ALPHA

GALATOS

8.30PM, $30, EVENTFINDER.CO.NZ

AUCKLAND

AUCKLAND

SAT 06 JUN

8PM, $37.50 EVENTFINDER.CO.NZ

10PM, $34.90, UTR.CO.NZ

Back, better than ever and bristling with pent up political disillusionment, Trinity Roots are currently on tour debuting many beautiful pieces from third LP Citizen. Their lengthy, earthy jams are what good shows are made of – ‘Haiku’ live is going to be a stunner, though my favourite will always, always be ‘Home, Land and Sea’.

On the back of his near career-best LP Lucky Stars, Don McGlashan, the man behind some of this country’s most loved tunes, is on tour performing the new tunes and being generally great in other areas. I love how Don mentions real Kiwi places in his songs, like Takapuna Beach. I’ve frickin’ been there, man!

Currently the only female glitch-hop artist I know who runs her own label and is classically trained at piano, Jennifer Lee aka Tokimonsta is back for a victory lap on our dance-loving shores. Fresh from well-received sets at Coachella and SXSW, this will be damned big night at Galatos. Multiple support acts (Bailey Wiley!)

GROOVEGUIDE.CO.NZ

THU 18 JUNE SAT 13 JUNE

SAT 20 JUNE

5 SECONDS OF SUMMER

MACHINE HEAD

DICTAPHONE BLUES

VECTOR ARENA

STUDIO

DARKROOM

AUCKLAND

AUCKLAND

CHRISTCHURCH

7.30PM, $90, TICKETMASTER.CO.NZ

8PM, $76, TICKETMASTER.CO.NZ

9PM

5 Seconds of Summer – four Aussie boys – have millions of fans, wads of cash, big singles, and not to mention a shite-load of YouTube views. They sell out stadiums worldwide. They are the Stones to 1D’s Beatles. Or the NOFX to 1D’s Blink 182? OK, the O-Town to 1D’s 98 Degrees. Boy bands.

Looking like a surly group of Game of Thrones extras, Machine Head really make their voices heard. They’re a rare example of a metal group who garner more critical praise with each album, instead of, you know, the Metallica thing. Catch them in a rare show at the Studio, and bring the darn blasted arnica.

A good old-fashioned single release show is what I’m all about, and ‘Lance’s Tape’ is a bloody ripper of a single. A tale of a naughty VHS tape handed around a Dunedin high school, the song is a ‘90s nostalgia kick. Dictaphone Blues hit the road, playing ‘Tape’ and songs from their three albums.

GIG OF THE WEEK

20 JUNE

ALLIANCE FRANCAISE

FRI 26 JUNE

GALATOS

FRI 26 JUNE

AUCKLAND

MARLON WILLIAMS

SEETHER

7PM, $15-20, ALLIANCE-FRANCAISE.CO.NZ

CRYSTAL PALACE

LOGAN CAMPBELL CENTRE

Behold, the Alliance Francaise Music Festival! Returning once more to Auckland, this is an event inspired by Make Music Day, which celebrates quality music from all over the globe.

Included on the day are Estere, Boagan and Twistin’ the Swing – just the tip of the iceberg in a seven-hour performance that showcases multiple genres.

AUCKLAND

AUCKLAND

7.30PM, $30, UTR.CO.NZ

7PM, $74.50, TICKETMASTER.CO.NZ

If you’ve ever had the pleasure of seeing Marlon Williams live, or simply heard his pipes on the net, his music – a lilting country folk stew with the voice of an angel – really does lift the weight from your shoulders. With his acclaimed self-titled album in tow, this will be a wee tour for the history books.

The South African grunge revivalists are back and ready to sulk. I’m all for a bit of ‘Fine Again’, and their latest song sounds like Sugar Ray massaging Limp Bizkit, which could only ever be a good thing, right? The lead singer used to date that Evanescence chick. Bet that was one hilarious tour bus.

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Shit worth doing culture

THIS MONTH’S FIVE MUST SEE CULTURAL EVENTS IN NEW ZEALAND

TUE 02 JUN-THU 18 JUN

BILLY APPLE: THE ARTIST HAS TO LIVE LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE AUCKLAND ART GALLERY AUCKLAND

JUNE

PASSPORT TO THE UNIVERSE AND DARK UNIVERSE STARDOME OBSERVATORY & PLANETARIUM AUCKLAND 9.30PM, $8-30, STARDOME.ORG.NZ

DAY ?? MON - DAY ?? MON

AIR NEW ZEALAND 75 YEARS

I’ve Floyded out and tripped on some amazing science shit there, but this is a Stardome double feature is not to be missed. The first, narrated by Tom Hanks, takes us on a trip from Earth and the Milky Way to the edge of the frickin’ galaxy. The second then drops us into the dark unknown. Freaky.

10AM-5PM

You’ve seen those billboards. But who the hell is this guy? In a nutshell, Billy Apple is a Kiwi-born artist that, through living in London and New York, has experienced art’s evolution from the ‘60s until today. This is the largest collection of his work so far, with early pop art leading into his branding work.

TE PAPA WELLINGTON WED 03 MAY – SUN 07 JUN. The first ever Air NZ flight was a short trip from Auckland to Sydney in 1940.

Fast forward 75 years, and us Kiwis are everywhere doing badass things, with many thanks to Air NZ. An interactive exhibition that transports you to the past, present and future of flight, this is a once in a lifetime trip.

KEY

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FREE

ALL AGES

LOCAL

TOUR

INT’L

ART

COMEDY

THEATRE

DANCE

MUSIC

GROOVEGUIDE.CO.NZ

FRI 19 JUN

NZSO: WAGNER GALA - INKINEN FESTIVAL

TUE 02 JUN - SAT 06 JUN

AUCKLAND TOWN HALL

TERRY PRATCHETT’S CARPE JUGULUM

AUCKLAND

GRYPHON THEATRE

FRI 19 JUN

WELLINGTON

7PM NZSO.CO.NZ

$20-25, WELLINGTONREPERTORY.ORG.NZ

I’m always up for a hearty classical passage in the middle of winter. Star music director Pietari Inkinen leads a group of the world’s best soloists in these highlights from Wagner’s final two operas, Siegfried and Gotterdammerung. This is the stuff that changed opera forever. Opera major players Simon O’Neill and Christine Goerke feature.

The sequel to Wyrd Sisters, this is an enticing fantastical theatre piece put on by the always-quality Wellington Repertory. This is a battle between the witch monarchy and a family of vampires intent on taking over the kingdom. But these are a new breed of vampires – smartly dressed with normal, Christian names. What will happen?!

SUN 14 JUN

AUCKLAND FAIR SHED 10 AUCKLAND

SUN 14 JUN

11AM – 4PM, $5, DOOR SALES ONLY

NEW ZEALAND BOUTIQUE WINE FESTIVAL 2015 IMPERIAL LANE

SUN 14 JUN

WED 10 JUN

AUCKLAND 11.30AM – 7.30PM, $29-99, EVENTFINDER.CO.NZ

I know nothing about wine. I take too long at the cooler and always buy something bad under pressure. Maybe it’s time I learn the ropes and head along to the Boutique Wine Festival.

I can explore wines from different regions, or hear seminars about aromas and headiness. And the samples. So many tasty samples.

SALUTE FOUNDERS THEATRE HAMILTON 7.30PM, $40-75, TICKETEK.CO.NZ

The Royal New Zealand Ballet collaborates with the NZ Army Band, alongside multitalented composers and choreographers, in this centenary tribute to the Gallipoli landings.

Neil Ieremia, inspired by the poem Passchendaele, will premier new work, as well as Andrew Simmons. “At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them.”

One of the coolest art and craft markets in the country, it’s the Auckland Fair!

This ain’t your run-of-the-mill granny market full of doodackies and nic nacs – this is quality homeware with a side of seriously good ceramics and candles, all handmade, gee. Deck out your Ponsonby flat with unique stuff and make your mates jealous.

SAT 26 JUN

THE MENAGERIE THE FRINGE BAR WELLINGTON SAT 27 JUN 8PM, $30, EVENTFINDER.CO.NZ

This is the wacky, wonderful, compelling world of Menagerie, a variety night featuring a revolving cast of talented local performers on the last Saturday of every month. Every show is different, with magicians, hula hoopists, mimes, circus freaks – basically, if you’re in Wellington and want to do something strange, get down there and strut your freaky stuff.

SAT 06 JUN

WED 24 JUN - SUN 28 JUN

CSO: ANIKA MOA & JULIA DEANS

SLEEPING BEAUTY ON ICE

ISAAC THEATRE ROYAL

THE CIVIC

CHRISTCHURCH CITY

AUCKLAND

7.30PM, $15-45, TICKETEK.CO.NZ

7.30PM, $69-99, TICKETMASTER.CO.NZ

Two beautiful women, two beautiful voices, way more than two hits – these proud Cantabrians are combining their musical mana with the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra. With new songs and old favourites including ‘Falling in Love Again’, ‘Lydia’, and ‘Dreams in my Head’, expect some ripping banter on stage too. Yep, these ladies are also funny as hell.

Sleeping Beauty is (unashamedly) one of my favourite Disney films. Set to a Tchaikovsky soundtrack, the Imperial Ice Stars put on one hell of an exhilarating show, leaping, dancing, and twirling around an ice stage with Princess Aurora and co. With enthralling choreography and amazing storytelling, go with the whole family and get a snowcone.

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Shit worth doing screen

THE BEST IN TV AND FILM THIS MONTH

THU 26 JUN

|

JURASSIC WORLD CINEMA RELEASE

The five-year-old me would be losing his shit right about now, but the present me is also losing said shit. This is the fourth Jurassic Park movie, a reboot that sees numerous dinosaurs confined in a Seaworld-like theme park. Chris Pratt is the lead.

Go purely for Andy Dwyer fighting angry velociraptors.

THU 26 JUN

FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD

LOVE & MERCY

CINEMA RELEASE

CINEMA RELEASE

In an adaptation of Thomas Hardy’s 1874 literary classic, Carey Mulligan and Matthias Schoenaerts dig deep into a world of romance, independence and Michael Sheen’s spectacularly sculpted sideburns. Mulligan is conflicted between three men – a farmer, a soldier, and an older bachelor – and must choose. If only Tinder was a bit earlier on.

The life of Beach Boys enigma Brian Wilson gets the biopic treatment, from his era-defining Pet Sounds LP to a nervous breakdown after a number of personal and musical troubles.

A stellar cast, including Paul Dano and John Cusack as the younger and older Wilson and Paul Giamatti as his therapist, make this a must-see.

WED 03 JUN

8

THU 11 JUN

THU 11 JUN

OUR LIVES: THE MEN WITH MANY WIVES

WORD UP

TV ONE, 9.30PM

TV ONE, 9PM

In this documentary on British muslims practising polygamy, Masood Khan delves into the extremes of extreme marriage.

The list of pros and cons is startling. Polygamy is when you have one wife, and then say, “This is okay, but three of you be AWESOME”. It is then possible you will have, like, 80 children.

Sign. Me. Up.

It’s the new Kiwi quiz show that nobody expected (or asked for)! Jaquie Brown hosts, with a smattering of comedy talent like Steve Wrigley (his superhero name would totally be “The Panelist’) Teams play against each other in a game of keyword-based trivial hilarity, as well as role-play and rapid fire questions. Impending laughter alert!

GROOVEGUIDE.CO.NZ

WED 17 JUN WED 17 JUN

VANITY FAIR CONFIDENTIAL

THE MOTEL LIFE

CRIME & INVESTIGATION, 8.30PM

RIALTO CHANNEL, 8.30PM

Ever wanted to know the true dirt on your favourite Vanity Fair stories? Look no further – Vanity Fair Confidential has the scoop on the criminal affairs of various people that had previously graced the illustrious magazine’s pages. Runaway doctors! Soldier scandals! Boy band moguls gone crooked!

This is fast-paced, sophisticated sensationalism at its best, people.

A drama rich with mystery, The Motel Life follows two brothers (Emile Hirsch and Steph Dorff) who accidentally kill someone in a hit-and-run. Panic and paranoia ensues as they hide in a dingy motel in Reno, with only their imaginations to escape the dawning reality of the death. Co-starring Kris Kristofferson and Dakota Fanning.

THU 04 JUN

INSIDE AMY SCHUMER (S3)

WED 03 JUN

AUCKLAND DAZE (S2) COMEDY CENTRAL, 9PM

Glen the stuntman, Jimmy the dwarf, Fasi the comic and male model Millen make their comeback in the second series of Auckland Daze. This time around, Millen happens to stumble upon a beautiful Christian girl who changes his life, and Jimmy gets a peculiar body-double gig, as they continue to struggle through NZ’s tragic entertainment industry.

COMEDY CENTRAL, 8.55PM

Being hailed as one of the funniest, wickedest comediennes in recent memory, follow Amy Schumer’s quest to understand sex, relationships, and the general mindscrew that is life. A mixture of stand-up comedy, scripted vignettes and on-the-street interviews, this is your new option for great comedy. Also – is it the year of the ass? Schumer investigates.

SUN 07 JUN

WESTSIDE TV3, 8.30PM

Outrageous Fortune was some bloody good watching, and there’s been a bogan-shaped hole in our TV hearts since it finished. But fear not – Westside goes back to where it all started. It’s 1975, and we’re with the legendary couple of Ted and Rita West. The same house, probably the same cars, and the same bad habits.

SAT 06 JUN NEW KID

TV SHOW

REALITY TV

CINEMA RELEASE

CULT CLASSIC

ONLINE

ALL AGES

DOCUMENTRY

AWARDS

TV FILM

KEY

THE GENIUS OF ROALD DAHL SKY ARTS, 9.20PM

Funny man David Walliams explores the incomparable world of Roald Dahl. The best-selling author’s characters and stories still spark magic in children and adults alike, and Walliams goes on a journey meeting crucial figures in Dahl’s life to try and understand his dramatic, tragedy-filled life. Did you know Dahl was once a British spy? Crazy.

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Reading haruki murakami

2015 AUCKLAND WRITER’S FESTIVAL

Every so often, you pick up a book that is exactly what you need at that point in your life. So it was befitting that I first picked up Haruki Murakami’s Norwegian Wood as I grappled with loss of life and love. As a late bloomer to grief, the unfamiliar sense of being filled with emptiness was unsettling.

It could be argued that the western world has an unhealthy attitude towards death, be it of a life or of a relationship, as it is rarely spoken about in real terms.

Rather, it is easier to deny or hide the existence of it. Murakami acted as a counterpoint to this in Norwegian Wood. With a straightforward lyricism to his prose, he outlined simple truths about loss,

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grief, and the importance of recognising the impact of it on one’s mind. As a writer and as a human being, it was a pivotal read.

Although he has been writing for 35 years, Norwegian Wood was Murakami’s first internationally successful novel. Since its 1987 release, over 20 more have followed including The Wind Up Bird Chronicle, 1Q84, and recently Colourless Tsukuru and His Years of Pilgrimage. He is also the recipient of the Kafta Prize and Jerusalem Prize for his distinctive writing, which walks the tightrope between reality and dreams, the whimsical and the brutal.

It was with great fanfare then, that Murakami was announced as the headlining speaker for the

2015 Auckland Writer’s Festival, and the event quickly sold out, with a single ticket that was originally purchased for $35 being snapped up on TradeMe for $200. In literary circles, Murakami generates as much buzz as The Beatles.

When the night came, it was fitting that I was greeted with a surreally banal stage set up for An Evening with Haruki Murakami. Sleek armchairs and a coffee table sat atop a Turkish rug, this oddly intimate misen-scene was framed by large palm trees on either side of the stage. The talk was chaired by US editor and writer John Freeman, whose meticulously thought-out questions were expertly tempered with ad-libbed witticisms.

Aside from the usual literary questions, topics meandered on to included his collection of 11,000 vinyl records, tofu doughnuts, cats, evilness, translation and rebelling against his parents. Murakami carefully considered each question put to him. In many ways, he writes how he speaks and vice-versa. When he first began writing he would translate his novels from English to Japanese, and this was how he found his “simple, clear and very easy to read” voice, after making the decision to write while watching a baseball game aged 29.

Murakami himself was surprising. If those present were expecting a melancholic man, they got the opposite. Warmly wise and humorous, he clearly relishes the opportunity to “be anyone in fiction” and tell their stories. Each story is “unpredictable” even to him, which is perhaps what gives his tales their organic quality. However

they all usually requires him to go down into “the basement, the darkness of people’s minds.” From an outsider’s perspective, he approaches writing in a very disciplined manner, rising at 4am and writing for 4-5 hours before breakfast, then exerting some energy on his much publicised daily runs, and returning to translate authors, which is his “pastime” before winding down in the evening by watching baseball.

As the evening drew to a close, audience members were given the opportunity to ask Murakami their questions. A woman who had flown from Sydney to see him asked if he had “any tips for aspiring writers in a conservative publishing environment”, to which he responded with typical honesty: “I have no idea … I found my own style, so that is important … to write a good story is not easy. It’s a tough life. Hang on.”

While it’s hard to give An Evening with Haruki Murakami a conventional review, what it did highlight is that New Zealand audiences are desperate for the calibre of events on offer at the Auckland Writer’s Festival. Featuring over 150 panels, talks and workshops, there was bound to be something for everyone during this five-day festival. Writers are such a vital part of society, because they allow us to understand the world on a deeper level. With the unfortunate cancellation of New Zealand Book Month (again) we need to encourage writers and readers now more than ever. Also, in case you were wondering if cats were imbued with a spirituality for Murakami, the answer is no.

“It’s just a cat.”

KATE POWELL

Waikato Stories riff raff & coffee For a time, 17-year-old Richard O’Brien cut hair in the Barber’s shop that sat against the grand old Embassy movie theatre on Victoria Street in Hamilton.

When he wasn’t working he was next door watching movies. He had a special interest in horrors.

A few years later he was in Britain and came with an idea for a musical based on all those B-grade double features he had soaked up during his time in Hamilton.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show opened in 1973. It was an instant hit and its enduring popularity has made O’Brien an enduring fortune.

Some years back they tore the old Embassy down and replaced it with a grassy knoll and a public toilet. Through the efforts of Mark Servian and the Riff Raff Public Arts Trust a statue was erected in 2004 commemorating O’Brien’s association with the city. Riff Raff did not arrive without his opposition – a small but vocal lobby group felt that “the statue was an inappropriate symbol for the city and might give the wrong impression”.

The Riff Raff statue, a larger than life bronze of the gentleman in his space suit, was made by Weta Workshop and has become a major ambassadorial figure for the Rocky Horror phenomenon and the impression has been an overwhelmingly positive one.

The River Kitchen, Metropolis and Scotts Epicurean are close by and

all offer exceptional coffee.

River Kitchen arrived on the scene in 2007 offering contemporary Kiwi food styles based on seasonal Waikato produce and was an immediate hit. Multiple award-winners, their Lonely Planet entry draws customers from all over the world: “River Kitchen does things with simple style: Cakes, gourmet breakfasts and fresh seasonal lunches (angle for the salmon hash), and a barista who knows his beans. It’s the kind of place you visit for breakfast, come back to for lunch then consider for breakfast the next day.”

“I wrote my very first song in Hamilton. Thunder Rock is it’s title: 3 cords, 3 versus, no middle 8, and no choruses. I still sing it from time to time...”

Scotts was opened in 2000 by the brother and sister team of Mandy and Jason Scott. This south-end café revolutionised the scene with its style and panache, qualities that have made its brand beloved and enduring.

A compact and finely-tuned menu has won Scotts a veritable trophy cabinet of awards. They introduced Aglio e Olio to Hamilton and have made it into a perennial city favourite.

Metropolis truly is “living history”. Opened back in 1991 by another brother and sister team, Robert and Deborah Nudds, the cities first modern café is

stylistically idiosyncratic and open late. The menu is extensive and seasonal.

Between Scotts and Metropolis is Browsers.

Second-hand bookstores were once ubiquitous to NZ main streets, but have mostly gone the way of the record store in the age of the Internet.

Browsers survives partly to its proximity to the city’s hospitality district.

Open till all hours, it’s an unexpected diversion after dinner and makes for an island of peace amidst the madding crowds. Browsers offers an astonishing variety of books, with titles you didn’t know you wanted until you found them.

As for O’Brien, nothing he wrote after Rocky Horror even got close to touching the same heights, although 1980 musical film Shock Treatment, which sank on release, is in the process of getting a stage reboot.

Recently, O’Brien returned to New Zealand and built himself a retirement villa in Tauranga. His 2010 application for NZ citizenship (O’Brien was born in Britain, his parents migrated to NZ to farm sheep in the Bay of Plenty when he was lad), was turned down on the grounds that he was too old, (he was a robust 70 at the time).

Some awkward publicity and protests saw this decision overturned and these days O’Brien is a regular visitor to Hamilton where he can be sighted participating in various Riff Raff-orientated activities.

The Riff Raff statue has its own Facebook page and website.

WAIKATO EVENTS FIELD DAYS: WED 10 JUN – SAT 13 JUN MYSTERY CREEK EVENTS CENTRE, HAMILTON

TOUGH GUY & GAL MUD RUN: SAT 12 JUN – SUN 13 JUN NGARUAWAHIA CHRISTIAN CAMP,

From 1990-94 he was the presenter of UK Channel 4’s game show, The Crystal Maze, which was in its time, was Channel 4’s highest-rated programme.

Otherwise he has kept up a regular recording schedule and acted in numerous big budget films and stage shows.

NGARUAWAHIA

MAMMA MIA: FRI 19 JUN – SAT 04 JUL FOUNDERS THEATRE, HAMILTON

KARIOI CLASSIC: SUN 26 JUL RAGLAN

SILVER FERNS V SOUTH AFRICA: SUN 26 JUL

Eating

cooked in this fat.

best potato chips

Palm oil comes from tropical palm tree. It is problematic for two reasons: 1. This oil is not very good for us (it is high in unhealthy unsaturated fat and once it is processed these fats become even more harmful).

2. Precious tropical ecosystems are being destroyed in Indonesia and Malaysia to make way for industrial scale palm plantations.

The potato chip market in New Zealand is estimated at $137 million annually.

On top of this we eat some 120,000 tonnes of hot chips. We Kiwis love our potatoes and our consumption equates to some 668 potatoes per person per year.

Some people like a crispy Kettle-style chip; others like them ripple cut and a little softer. Some like them thick, some thin. Some don’t care how they are made and cooked as long as they are cheap and taste good, for others, quality is everything.

We eat chips because they are crunchy and salty and a little bit oily. These are three elemental taste triggers that can be resisted by few.

My plan was to eat a different brand every night until I had a winner, on the face of it a delicious idea but one that left me feeling all chipped out about three quarters of the way through my taste-testing mission.

Will I eat potato chips again?

Probably, though not for a little while. (That “little while” ended up being three days).

For the purpose of this study, I ate only salted chips.

No fancy paprika or blunt salt and vinegar or barbecue flavours here. If I was to get

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down to the essence of the chip, it had to be in its most basic form: potato, oil, salt.

I was trying to determine, not only the tastiest chip, but also the healthiest.

Recent studies are suggesting that fried foods do our hearts little harm if they are cooked in the right oil. Olive, sunflower and canola (in that order), get the big tick from experts, so with that in mind, the oil the chip is cooked in became an important part of the equation and for the purpose of this review I decided to eat only chips cooked in sunflower and canola oil. (You won’t find any chips cooked in olive oil on the supermarket shelves. The king of oils is far too expensive and temperamental for industrial chip fryers). When the ingredient listing names the oil as vegetable, you can be sure it’s palm and most of the cheaper chips on the supermarket shelves are

Here are my recommendations: Bluebird Copper Kettle Chips are a crispy and well-seasoned batch cooked chip but somewhat inconsistent in quality.

Sometimes the chip is noticeably overcooked. This is due to sugar levels in the potato, a seasonal factor that requires particular techniques to get right and it seems odd that an experienced chip-maker like Bluebird allows slightly burned product to pass through quality control.

Cooked in sunflower oil.

6/10 Chip Off The Block is a new entrant on the market.

They are made by the Balle family who grow their own potatoes on farms in the Waikato and Pukekohe.

Aimed at the top end of the market, this chip is unremarkable and like Copper Kettle somewhat

inconsistent in quality.

Otherwise, the saltiness is perfectly balanced and the oily residue minimal. A little pricey for what they are.

Cooked in sunflower oil.

6/10 Red Rock Deli is a kettle-style chip made by the Australian branch of international chip giant Smiths. The product is consistent in quality, unlike its cousin Cooper Kettle, and is notably less oily. The salt is a little lacking and the price a little high; otherwise this is a fairly decent chip.

Cooked in sunflower oil.

7.5/10 Heartland comes from Canterbury and is made by the Bowan family who only use potatoes they have grown themselves.

This is an old style ripple cut chip that treads a nice line between crispness and the traditionally softer texture of this cut. This is a good quality and reliable chip that that is cooked in either canola or sunflower.

Affordable and nicely seasoned. 7.5/10 Bluebird Thinly Cut are consistent, flavoursome and cooked in sunflower oil.

The price makes them the most affordable of the chips cooked in quality oil. 8/10 Proper Crisps come from Nelson and these guys use only the yellow-fleshed Agria potatoes to make their chips. The yellow flesh gives the Proper Crisp a distinct look as well as a unique taste and texture.

Cut halfway between thick and thin, this chip is beautifully cooked and expertly seasoned; they are also the most expensive of the chips on review. That said, no other chip I tasted comes close to this one for satisfaction and all round magnificence. 9.5/10

Drinking

SHANGHAI LIL’S

SWEAT SHOP BREW BAR

AUCKLAND

AUCKLAND

With live music, exceptional service and a mix of old and new into a funky space, Shanghai Lil’s is back in the biarch. This place is a Ponsonby staple, with an amazing drink menu (the cucumber and mint martinis were amazing when we went) and a stress-lifting, friendly vibe. But my favourite thing about Lil’s is the passion for music. Their Williamsburg night on a Thursday boasts local jazz, latin, soul and blues artists – the perfect soundtrack to a Ponsonby outing. So make sure you’ve got no other plans, get a table in the corner, and groove into that good night.

One of the newer rebrands of the Barworks team, Sweatshop looks to offer some hearty, amazingly satisfying tucker along with that familiar beer from home. Previously Sale St, Sweatshop always boasts a bustling atmosphere and is usually the place all those beautiful people go for after-work drinks.

Capitalising on the Southern American trend, there is a lot to choose from here – chowder, meatballs, a flat iron streak sandwich, a bird burger. You have the info, now the hard part is making a decision on what to eat. But no worries, you can start with a big delicious beer.

ENGINEERS BAR GOLDING’S FREE DIVE

CHRISTCHURCH

WELLINGTON

CHARLIE BAXTER’S

Golding’s brings together the textures and treats of Wellington into something a bit special. With the motto of “Beer is Love”, Golding’s recreates the vibe of an American dive bar. Interesting. Also independent of the big beer companies, these guys offer the best of NZ’s small breweries as well as the USA’s eclectic offerings.

AUCKLAND

BAR 151

With an old-school Kiwiana theme, Agee jar lightning and a garden deck planted in old pallets, Charlie Baxter’s is the perfect spot to forget about the dripping drab winter. And guess what? Their mulled wine is back in full steam. And they have milkshakes with a “kick”. This sounds like my kind of place, Charlie.

AUCKLAND

A bar with some tasty morsels and amazing deals (they once asked patrons to bring a cup of rainwater in for a free feed), Bar 151 is another staple of Ponsonby’s fine bar community. It’s all about the great beer (Boundary Road) and steamed buns, and this place offers both. Let me in!

Dedicated to some great food, drinks and good times, this is your unpretentious Christchurch haven. It’s the only establishment with a roof bar there, so get involved and become a social engineer of some good times. A delicious menu and functions available for booking, this will soon be your favourite new spot for some innovative drinking

GROOVEGUIDE.CO.NZ

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PROUDLY SUPPORTED BY Wagner Society of New Zealand Patron: Sir Donald McIntyre

Wagner New Zealand Foundation

N EW Z E A L A N D SY M P H O N Y O R C H E ST R A p re s e n t s

Pietari Inkinen Simon O’Neill

CO N D U CTO R TENOR

Christine Goerke

SOP R AN O

AD

SCE NE S F RO M

Wagner’s Ring Cycle INCLUDIN G HI G HLI G HTS FR O M

Act 3 of Siegfried AND SCE N E S F RO M

Götterdämmerung

Friday 12 June

6.30pm

WELLINGTON MICHAEL FOWLER CENTRE

Wednesday 17 June

7.00pm

CHRISTCHURCH HORNCASTLE ARENA

Friday 19 June

7.00pm

AUCKLAND TOWN HALL

Free pre-concert talks 45 minutes prior

nzso.co.nz FOR TICKET DETAILS VISIT

NZSO

INKINEN FESTIVAL The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra is delighted to present the Inkinen Festival – an exhilarating tour of orchestral masterpieces with concerts in Dunedin and Christchurch and double-billed weekends in Wellington and Auckland.

Much-loved Music Director Pietari Inkinen opens the tour in Wellington with The Wagner Gala. Under Maestro Inkinen, homegrown opera superstar Simon O’Neill and Grammyaward winner Christine Goerke perform a selection of famous scenes from Wagner’s Ring Cycle. Then Saturday night is set to dazzle as celebrated violinist Karen Gomyo will perform Beethoven’s treasured Violin Concerto in Karen Gomyo plays Beethoven.

This festival sees Karen Gomyo reunited with Pietari Inkinen five years after he first conducted her performance of Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No. 1 with the Oregon Symphony. In 2012, he also led her performance of Shostakovich’s Violin Concerto No. 1 with the Colorado Symphony in Denver.

Eating

amassing a multitude of awards including the prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant in 2008.

Maestro Inkinen also rejoins Simon O’Neill and Christine Goerke after they performed The Valkyrie together with the NZSO in 2012.

Ashburton-born tenor Simon O’Neill is lauded as the Wagnerian tenor of his generation. A principal artist with the Metropolitan Opera, the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden and the Bayreuth Festival.

AUCKLAND

The Midnight Baker is the side project of wonderful Yeshe, who loves baking at night but wanted a still-yummy, healthy alternative that would suit her dietary requirements. Then voila, the Freedom Loaf was born: a nut and seed-packed bit of high-fibre goodness that’s also a guilt-free bread alternative.

The Freedom Loaf has no gluten, no wheat, dairy, refined sugar, yeast or eggs – that stuff is gone. There are herb and cinnamon flavours. I want one now (though, I am tempted to smear butter all over it). Yeshe also makes scrumptious peanut butter with honey and sea salt. Available to order.

US soprano Christine Goerke has appeared in the major opera houses of the world including the Metropolitan Opera, La Scala, the Paris Opera House, and the Royal Opera House Covent Garden.

She is a Grammy Award winner of whom a New York Times critic wrote that “her powerful voice, technique, and honest passion are always good to hear. The pleasure she takes in the act of singing is communicable”.

PHIL’S KITCHEN AUCKLAND

BOY AND BIRD The Inkinen Festival will delight and enchant with stunning soloists, dazzling repertoire and the amazing Pietari Inkinen.

FRI 12 JUN MICHAEL FOWLER CENTRE, WELLINGTON

This tri-lingual violinist began playing at the age of five and hasn’t stopped since.

A Julliard alumna, Gomyo is no stranger to success,

THE MIDNIGHT BAKER

WED 17 JUN HORNCASTLE ARENA, CHRISTCHURCH FRI 19 JUN TOWN HALL, AUCKLAND NZSO.CO.NZ

AUCKLAND

I’m all about da chicken, and looking at Boy & Bird’s menu, I’m currently tucking in my grease bib and shining my special chicken fork with anticipation. But the big deal here is their full rotisserie chickens, all made with love. I’ve never seen a truffle parmesan-crusted chicken at my local Countdown.

Winter essential.

A modern bistro restaurant that approaches cooking with a modern twist, Phil’s Kitchen is the result of 17 years of hard graft. But walk in, and it’s a fully relaxed atmosphere with a welcoming vibe. Their vibrant menu changes daily. Apparently their confit salmon is a mouthwatering relevation, and the chocolate parfait is a life-changer.

GROOVEGUIDE.CO.NZ

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UPCOMING TOURS & EVENTS Fri 26 Jun The Oamaru Opera House, Oamaru Sat 27 Jun The Cardboard Cathedral, Christchurch Fri 03 Jul The Wintergarden – The Civic, Auckland Sat 04 Jul The Opera House, Wellington

NEW 10CC (UK) Tue 10 Nov ASB Theatre, Auckland Wed 11 Nov TSB Showplace, New Plymouth Thu 12 Nov Regent On Broadway, Palmerston North Fri 13 Nov St James Theatre, Wellington Sat 14 Nov Municipal Theatre, Napier Mon 16 Nov ASB Arena At Baypark, Tauranga Tue 17 Nov Founders Theatre, Hamilton

BONE THUGS-NHARMONY (US) Wed 01 Jul The Foundry, Christchurch Thu 02 Jul The Powerstation, Auckland

NEW

BONEY M Fri 30 Oct ASB Theatre, Auckland

FLEETWOOD MAC (UK/US) Wed 18 Nov Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin Sat 21 Nov Mt Smart Stadium, Auckland Sun 22 Nov Mt Smart Stadium, Auckland

A STRANGE DAY’S NIGHT Wed 03 Jun - Thu 04 Jun Town Hall, Auckland

CHRIS CORNELL (US) Fri 20 Nov Isaac Theatre Royal, Christchurch Mon 23 Nov Michael Fowler Centre, Wellington Thu 26 Nov ASB Theatre, Auckland

BALLET REVOLUCION Wed 17 Jun - Sun 21 Jun The Civic, Auckland

NEW

THE BEATLE BOYS (AU) Fri 05 Jun Town Hall, Auckland Sat 06 Jun St James Theatre, Wellington BIC RUNGA & TINY RUINS Thu 25 Jun The Mayfair NEW Theatre, Dunedin

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GROOVEGUIDE.CO.NZ

NEW HELLYEAH (US) Thu 20 Aug Studio, Auckland Fri 21 Aug Bodega, Wellington Sat 22 Aug Bedford, Christchurch

HERMITUDE & YOUNG TAPZ NEW Fri 10 Jul Bodega, Wellington Sat 11 Jul Studio, Auckland

NEW

DON MCGLASHAN Thu 11 Jun Hopetoun Alpha, Auckland Fri 12 Jun Gallagher Academy of Performing Arts, Hamilton Sat 13 Jun Tauranga Art Gallery, Tauranga Thu 18 Jun MTG Century Theatre, Napier

HOZIER Thu 05 Nov Vector Arena, Auckland

NEW

IMAGINE DRAGONS (US) Tue 08 Sep Vector Arena, Auckland Thu 10 Sep Horncastle Arena, Christchurch

NEW

DEMON ENERGY BATTLE OF THE BANDS 2015 Tue 02 Jun - Sat 01 Aug Multiple Venues, Nationwide battleofthebands.co.nz DICTAPHONE BLUES Fri 12 Jun Chicks Hotel, Dunedin Sat 13 Jun Darkroom, Christchurch

Sat 24 Jul Eyegum Collective, Wellington

ED SHEERAN (UK) Sat 12 Dec Mt Smart Stadium, Auckland

5 SECONDS OF SUMMER (AU) Thu 18 Jun Vector Arena, Auckland ALLIANCE FRANÇAISE NEW Sat 20 Jun Galatos, Auckland

Fri 19 Jun Paramount Theatre, Wellington Sat 20 Jun The Mayfair, New Plymouth Thu 25 Jun Theatre Royal, Nelson Fri 26 Jun The Grange Theatre, Christchurch Sat 27 Jun NBS Theatre, Westport Thu 02 Jul Sherwood, Queenstown Fri 03 Jul Opera House, Oamaru Sat 04 Jul Dunedin, The Fullwood Room

GIN WIGMORE Wed 01 Jul The Kings Arms, Auckland Fri 03 Jul Bodega, Wellington Sat 04 Jul CPSA, Christchurch NEW HDSPNS Fri 12 Jun Golden Dawn, Auckland Sat 20 Jun Absolutely Trashed, Auckland Fri 26 Jun Great Job, Palmerston North Sat 27 Jun Moon, Wellington Fri 03 Jul Darkroom, Christchurch Sat 04 Jul Chicks Hotel, Port Chalmers Sat 18 Jul The Meteor, Hamilton

JOAN BAEZ (US) Thu 15 Oct Isaac Theatre Royal, Christchurch Sat 17 Oct Michael Fowler Centre, Wellington Tue 20 Oct ASB Theatre, Auckland

NEW

JOHNNY MARR (UK) Thu 16 July The Powerstation, Auckland KISS (US) Fri 16 Oct Vector Arena, Auckland KITTY, DAISY & LEWIS (UK) Thu 30 Jul The Powerstation, Auckland MACHINE HEAD (US) Thu 18 Jun Churchills, Christchurch Sat 20 Jun Studio, Auckland