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EDITORIAL Welcome to the bumper September issue of Rip it Up. This month we lead the way with Kiwi band Like A Storm, the amazing story of three Auckland brothers who decamped to America 6 years in search of fame and fortune. Their latest single “Become the Enemy” has recently gone top 40 on US rock radio, their third song to do so. We also have interviews with Scottish electronica band Chvrches, English rockers Foals, Kiwi superstars The Phoenix Foundation and we chat with the winner of our Iron Maiden contest, Clinton Stead, about his weekend spent hanging out with the band. This month’s special feature concerns NZ, who we are and where we are going as a nation. We approached artists, musicians and politicians and asked for comments, a surprisingly difficult task, especially as regards politicians who proved to be a strangely elusive on the subject; kudos to David Shearer, Russel Norman and Metiria Turei who proved to be an exception to the rule. Russel Norman provided us with an article critiquing the TPPA and iconic artist Dick Frizell rounds off the NZ discussion with an essay examining the Kiwi egalitarian ethic. Last month’s cover and lead concerned NZ Metal legend and leader of the very popular Devilskin Paul Martin, this month it’s Paul’s list of his favourite music and next month we feature an interview with Devilskin vocalist/front-person Jennie Skulander. If that isn’t enough, check out our Film, Television and Album reviews and a column from a new contributor Vera Bucsu who writes about her favourite NZ wines and Beers in Wired This Way. Enjoy.

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CONTENTS

56.

32. 60

30. 61.

24. 10. Like A Storm. 14. My New Zealand. 16. Russell Norman TPPA. 17. Dick Frizell. 18. Paul Martin Album reviews. 20. Iron Maiden. 24. Phoenix Foundation. 6. Yana Alana. 32. Churches. 30. Foals. 56. Yana Alana. 60. Eating. 61. The Church Tour

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ON THE RIP IT UP STEREO THE PHOENIX FOUNDATION GIVE UP YOUR DREAMS (2015)

FOALS WHAT WENT DOWN (2015)

DISTURBED ‘IMMORTALIZED’ (2015)

WATSKY ‘NEVER LET IT DIE’ (2014)

FLEET FOXES ‘MYKNOS’ (2008)

ODESZA ‘LIGHT’ (2015)

JAMES BAY LET IT GO (2015)

AVALANCHE CITY ‘INSIDE OUT’ (2015)

CREDITS Rip It Up Creators Murray Cammick Alistair Dougal

Swainson, Nick Collings, & Vera Bucsu

Publisher & Editor Grant Hislop

Rip It Up and Groove Guide Magazines is published by Hark Entertainment Ltd

Co-Editor Andrew Johnstone

Office 2a Waverly Street, Auckland CBD, New Zealand

Designer Ashley Keen ashley@harkentertainment.com

Postal PO Box 6032 Wellesley Street, Auckland 1141, New Zealand

Publishing Coordinator Tyler Hislop

Website ripitup.co.nz or grooveguide.co.nz

Sub-Editor Gary Steel

Printers Webstar | Blue Star Group Limited | Shit Hot Printers

Sales Grant Hislop grant@ripitup.co.nz Publishing Assistant Jamie Hislop jamie@harkentertainment.com Accounts accounts@harkentertainment. com Cover Photo Credit Niall Fennessy Contributors Andrew Johnstone, Jake Ebdale, Russel Norman, Dick Frizzell, Kate Powell, Gary Steel, Mark Kendrick, Lisa Diedricks, Anna Loveys, Tim Gruar, Richard

Rip It Up and Groove Guide are subject to copyright in its entirety. The contents may not be reproduced in any form, either in whole or in part, without written permission of the publisher. All rights reserved in material accepted for publication, unless initially specified otherwise. All letters and other material forwarded to the magazine will be assumed intended for publication unless clearly labeled “NOT FOR PUBLICATION”. Opinions express in the magazine are not necessarily those of Hark Entertainment Limited. No responsibility is accepted for unsolicited material. ISSN 0114-0876

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WHAT GOES ON

COLD CHISEL ANNOUNCE NEW ALBUM Cold Chisel has announced the details of their new album The Perfect Crime. Featuring songs drawn from recording sessions across 2014 and 2015, the album will be kick-started by the single ‘Lost’, which is available for purchase now with the full album to be released on Friday 2 October. The band also announced that they have managed to convince fellow rockers Grindspoon to come out of their hiatus and become the support band for seven shows on their upcoming Australian tour. Even more exciting, ‘The Chisel’ will perform two dates in New Zealand, at Horncastle Arena in Christchurch on Friday 4 December, and Villa Maria Winery in Auckland on Sunday 6 December.

RHYTHM & VINES ANNOUNCEMENT The organisers of New Year’s festival Rhythm & Vines have announced their first lot of artists including acts such as Angus and Julia Stone & Peking Duk. Changes to this year’s festival include increasing the amount of afternoon and evening entertainment available to the masses, the inclusion of a comedy component and a new stage layout. The second artist announcement is due near the end of September, with organisers promising that they still have a couple of tricks up their sleeves. Rhythm & Vines takes place from Tuesday 29 to Thursday 31 December at Waiohika Estate, Gisborne.

CHVRCHES FRONTWOMAN CONDEMNS TROLLS Lead singer of Chvrches, Lauren Mayberry, has spoken out against online trolls following the release of the band’s latest video for the song, ‘Leave A Trace’. Mayberry was threatened with rape and sexist abuse following her role in the video, saying: “The response to the video, that to me just seemed ludicrous, really. I am a 27-year-old woman wearing a mini-dress with wet-look hair. If you don’t like it, that’s fine, but there is a difference between criticism and hatred. For me, it is sadly predictable, you fall back on the base argument.”

TYLER THE CREATOR BANNED FROM ENGLAND US rapper Tyler The Creator has cancelled a string of shows in the UK after being denied entry into England. The artist, real name Tyler Gregory Okonma, was due to play at Reading and Leeds festivals. However, his gigs were cancelled following a ban resulting from lyrics on his albums Bastard and Goblin that were found to be homophobic and likely to encourage violence. It is not the first country that the rapper has been banned from due to his controversial lyrics, with Australia and New Zealand also being part of the list.

ANDREW JOHNSTONE

LIKE A STORM The hottest Kiwi Rock Act in America

AUCKLAND BRO’S LIKE A STORM ARE ROCKING UP A TYPHOON THROUGH AMERICA. ANDREW JOHNSTONE HITS THEM WITH THE FAMOUS RIP IT UP Q&A. LIKE A STORM are three Auckland brothers: Matt, Chris and Kent Brookes, and Zach Wood, a family friend. Their latest single peaked at 17 on the Billboard rock charts, an unprecedented feat for a New Zealand act. Their new album, Awaken The Fire, debuted at 200 on the Billboard mainstream charts - achieved by CD purchases at the group’s concerts. These boys are busy, in demand and poised on the edge of the big time. We spoke (mostly) to Matt Brooks. Rip It Up is thrilled to be

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speaking with you. Thanks so much man. We grew up reading Rip It Up, so it’s a huge honour to be featured. Can you start by describing each other for our readers? Matt about Chris: As well as being a killer frontman, thanks to his trademark hair and didgeridoo, Chris has one of the most instantly recognisable silhouettes in modern rock. He has the kind of magnetic personality that is perfectly suited to being the lead singer of a rock band, but he is also an incredibly gifted musician and a very genuine human being. I should know - as well as growing up together, I’ve been on tour with the guy nonstop for the last six years (laughs). Chris about Zach: Zach is the perfect dude to have in this band. He is a monster behind the kit. Zach grew up playing

“Mum and Dad were always so encouraging and supportive of our crazy dream to play in a rock band. After a while I think they could tell that it wasn’t just some scheme to try and avoid

punk and metal so he’s got such incredible energy in his drumming. He’s also a really entertaining drummer to watch, always spinning his sticks back there (laughs). Most importantly though, Zach is just a great guy to have around in general. He’s really enthusiastic, and has the same twisted sense of humour that the three of us have… which definitely has its uses on a long tour. We’re really close and I consider him one of my brothers. Kent about Matt: Most people out there who know us know about Matt the guitarist. But what they may not know is that he is also an incredible vocalist

and a badass drummer. He’s the kind of dude who literally gets on with everyone and is the life of the party. But he’s also a deepthinker, and really connected to his roots. Matt has a tattoo of the Southern Cross down his forearm, and even wrote a song on the record about being away from NZ on tour, called ‘Southern Skies’. Zach about Kent: With Kent, so much comes to mind… I would have to say firstly his artistic skills. Kent is definitely a gifted artist, both musically and when it comes to actual drawing. It blows my mind! Also his hair - no one

does the red hair quite like he does (laughs). And how could I not mention his bass playing? Kent and I have this brotherlike bond - bass and drums in a band always have such a tight relationship. He’s such an awesome dude, we really just get each other whether it comes to music, personality, or our taste in cars. Tell us about growing up in the Brooks household. Music was always such a huge part of our lives. Both of our parents were big music fans,

of really iconic stuff like The Beatles, Creedence Clearwater Revival and The Eagles. When we started discovering bands like Guns N’ Roses, Metallica, Nirvana and Nine Inch Nails, we all became totally hooked on rock music. They had these amazing, anthemic songs, combined with massive guitar riffs and killer drum grooves. For me personally, I’ll never forget the day that Kent introduced me to Korn, Deftones and Tool. Changed my record collection, changed my life!

“America is a fascinating place man. It’s a country of huge variety and diversity, culturally, politically, geographically… far more so than I ever realised. We have certainly learned a lot during the last six years of touring, and we have been lucky enough to build a great career here.” as well as playing different instruments themselves. We grew up playing piano, guitar, drums… anything we could get our hands on. Mum and Dad were always so encouraging and supportive of our crazy dream to play in a rock band. After a while I think they could tell that it wasn’t just some scheme to try and avoid getting a real job. I’m sure all brothers scrap a bit from time to time - especially when you’re growing up - but honestly we got on great. We all had the same passion for music, and we spent all our free time either writing rock songs or playing them. Even though we all played in different bands in high school, we would jam together whenever we were hanging out at home - everything from Korn and Nirvana to Michael Jackson. What was the music that first inspired you? I think we first got our taste of great songwriting from listening to our parents’ music collection. We grew up listening to a lot

Explain the evolution of the Like A Storm. Most people think that, being brothers, we all grew up playing in a family band like Hanson or something. The truth is that we all started out playing in different bands. Both Chris and I were lead singers, and Kent was the kind of musician who could play any instrument in any band. I think he has been everything from a drummer, bassist, guitarist and keyboardist to a singer! Chris and Kent started playing together first, writing songs and developing the style that is now such a big part of our music combining vocal harmonies, heavy guitar riffs and ambient keyboard textures. Then they asked me to join, as a singer, guitarist and songwriter - which was incredible because I had always really looked up to them as musicians. We have played with a lot of really talented drummers over the years, but having Zach join

has really completed the line up. He was like the missing piece of the puzzle. As Chris said, as well as being an amazing drummer, Zach is like family, and it really feels like he has been in the band all along. What is the group’s collective musical philosophy Our musical philosophy is pretty simple - we are constantly trying to push ourselves. We push ourselves to try to write great songs, to share new messages and meanings with our lyrics, to incorporate elements from all the different styles of music that we listen to into our own music. I think it’s that ethos that led to us having didgeridoo in hard rock music - we loved that hypnotic, primal vibe, and we just decided that we would find a way to fit this new instrument into our soundscape. It’s like Thomas Edison inventing the light bulb, if we believe in an idea we will try it over and over again until it eventually works! What motivated you to take the bold step of taking on America? We all had a dream of touring the world playing rock‘n’roll, and we always saw America as a place where that dream could become a reality. So many of our favourite bands came from the US, and we knew it was a mecca for hard rock music. No matter how impossible it seemed we were determined to give it our best shot. Playing in this band always has been, and always will be, a huge adventure - and we really wanted to find out what was waiting for us on the other side of the Pacific. We’re very grateful for how it has turned out! How did you find your way to Creed and your first major tour? It’s a really cool story. We were

finishing up our first album in a Los Angeles recording studio, and the Creed guys were just starting their Full Circle record in the same building. Our producer Mike (Plotnikoff) - who had worked on Shihad’s The General Electric - had really taken us under his wing. Mike also just happened to be working on Creed’s new album. One day he just walks into the Creed control room where Mark Tremonti is recording and blasts one of our brand new songs over the studio speakers! Mark really dug our music, and he also really liked that we had moved to the other side of the world to follow our dream. So when Creed finished their album and hit the road for their US Reunion Tour - they asked us to join them! We couldn’t believe it. We went from planning a small club tour to opening for 15,000 people a night in packed arenas all over America. We will always be so grateful to the Creed guys for taking a chance on an unknown band from New Zealand. We have since toured with those guys about eight times as Creed, Alter Bridge, and as different solo acts - and we feel very fortunate to now consider them friends. Can you describe the highs and lows of getting on together when you’re in each other’s hair 24/7? The three of us have had a lifetime’s experience at getting on 24 hours a day. After all, we are brothers. And knowing each other so well, having so much shared history, definitely helps when you are out on the road. But the reality of touring is that everyone in your band and crew becomes like family. We tour 10 months a year, so you certainly get a lot of time to get to know someone. And you share a lot of incredible, crazy experiences that are almost impossible to explain to someone who wasn’t there in the moment with you.

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Things inevitably do come up from time to time, but you become so close that you can just deal with the issue and move on. Contrary to what people may think, there isn’t any room for egos in a rock band. Everyone needs everyone else, unless they want to become solo artists who load their own gear (laughs).” What are your thoughts about America - the good, the bad and everything in-between. America is a fascinating place man. It’s a country of huge variety and diversity, culturally, politically, geographically… far more so than I ever realised. We have certainly learned a lot during the last six years of touring, and we have been lucky enough to build a great career here. As for the good and bad? My

personal feeling is that they both stem from the same key pillars of American society. It is the way that different people practise these ideas that have either positive or negative outcomes. One example that comes to mind is free speech. To me, free speech is one of the noblest concepts on the planet, but it can also be used to spread a message of hate and intolerance. Patriotism can be twisted into xenophobia. Capitalism, the lynchpin of the American Dream, can also create crippling cycles of poverty. The way that these ideas and ideals are practiced can create vastly different results, and polarise people in the process. As for our own experiences, the American people have been incredibly welcoming and supportive since day one. We feel very lucky to have so many

friends and fans in the US. How is it being a New Zealander in a foreign land? I can confidently say that Peter Jackson’s films, the Flight Of The Conchords and the legendary All Blacks are doing us all great justice over here. Everyone we meet thinks that Kiwis are epic, hilarious badasses (laughs). Your wildest dreams come true. What are they? Playing the music I love every night, having such amazing fans all over the world, having the freedom to create and a way for those creations to be heard… the crazy dreams I had as a kid playing the guitar in Auckland have come true! I got to celebrate my last birthday by playing a massive rock

T WEET TALK “How can I expect my body to be bikini ready when it’s not even get-out-of-bed ready???” Akilah Hughes @AkilahObviously

“Instead of dinosaurs the next Jurassic Park is just going to have people who are opposed to marriage equality.” OhNoSheTwitnt @OhNoSheTwitnt

“I assume not being able to get on to the #Dismaland website to book tickets is part of the experience? thereaIbanksy” Kevin Ellis @KevinEllis5

“So much of being an adult is bringing a bottle of wine someone brought to your house to someone else’s house” Emily Axford @eaxford

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festival in Belgium. If that wasn’t cool enough, we then spent the evening hanging out with Mark Tremonti, who was one of my idols, watching Motorhead from the side of the stage. It really reminded me of just how lucky we are. Would you recommend some new sounds for our readers? We listen to a lot of different music on the road and when we are writing. We are huge music fans! Here are the albums I’ve been cranking the most lately - 1. Bring Me The Horizon Sempiternal. 2. Joe Bonamassa - Live from Nowhere In Particular. 3. Dimmu Borgir - Dimmu Borgir.

ANDREW JOHNSTONE

MY NEW ZEAL AND What Being in New Zealand Means to Me

MICHAEL JOSEPH SAVAGE. NEW ZEALAND’S FIRST LABOUR PRIME MINISTER

NOT SO LONG AGO WE LED THE WAY, BUT NOW NEW ZEALAND HAS LOST ITS MOJO. RIP IT UP HEAD WRITER ANDREW JOHNSTONE EXPLAINS THE WHYS AND THE HOWS, AND WHAT WE CAN DO TO HEAL THE BLEEDING WOUND. MY IDEA OF New Zealand was informed by two ongoing family conversations, the first of which begins with my paternal grandparents Bill and Sylvia. In 1930 they purchased a parcel of former swampland just outside of Cambridge (in the central Waikato), and began the job of raising a family and developing the land into a productive dairy farm.

Times were tough and though saddled with a burdensome debt at the height of the Great Depression they took in dozens of the homeless and jobless men who were walking the roads in search of food and opportunity. They fed them, and cash poor though they were themselves, always made sure the men left with a few coins in their pocket. Not far up the road was a marae whose people were suffering the extreme poverty typical of the time. Occasionally Bill and Sylvia took in young Maori children and fed them up, giving their parents a break and offering the kids some respite from their less than suitable circumstances. I didn’t hear these stories from my grandparents; they were too humble to talk about their good deeds. These stories I gleaned

from others.

their local dairy co-operative.

Grandpa’s ongoing conversation with me concerned Michael Joseph Savage, NZ’s first Labour Prime Minister, the man who led the nation out of the great depression and into economic prosperity. Elected in 1935, Savage’s political philosophy was simple. He called it ‘true Christianity in action’, and one of his first acts as PM was a financial grant to enable families in need the means to enjoy a decent Christmas dinner that year.

Politically, dairy farmers are a notoriously conservative bunch and mostly aligned to the National Party, but Grandpa never once voted National, such was the measure of his gratitude to Savage and his government.

A raft of reforms aimed at improving the lives working New Zealanders were to follow, including free education, health care, better working conditions and social welfare programmes, but most notably for my grandparents was legislation aimed at getting the burgeoning dairy industry on its feet.

The second conversation was with my father Noel. Like his parents before him, he and Mum were young farmers carrying a big debt with the added burden of a disabled child. My mother was 20 when she gave birth to Hilary, 10 months my junior, who suffered spina bifida, a condition we now know is caused by a lack of folic acid during pregnancy. Hilary’s condition was extreme and Dad never forgot the efforts of the local National MP who pulled strings and found funds that allowed them to upgrade their car into something more

“Traditionally a nation that leads, lately NZ seems to be drifting, unsure of who and what we stand for as a society and what we want for our future outside of financial prosperity.”

The measures this government put in place were instrumental in creating what has become the world’s leading dairy industry, and key to its success was a guaranteed price for milk fat, paid for by Reserve Bank credit, a revolutionary act that we as a nation have since been loathe to emulate (it goes against the rules of economic orthodoxy), but one that proved useful in getting this country back on its feet. This money offered my grandparents the degree of financial stability they needed to plan ahead, improve production and invest in

suitable for ferrying her back and forth between home and hospital, where she underwent a series of complex operations on her near useless legs and poorly formed spine. Assistance was forthcoming from a variety of government departments, and in particular, the public healthcare system. None of this cost them anything and for that Dad has remained ever grateful. We weren’t rich, but we always had enough, and this, in my family’s worldview, was what it was all about - not

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too little, not too much, but enough. As I grew into an adult, these thoughts informed my ideas on what it meant to be a New Zealander. For me, this country was about the sharing of resources, fairness and generosity of spirit - social concepts I cherish to this day. I am proud of the achievements of this little nation, an international player that has always punched well above its weight. The efforts of NZ were essential in the formation of the United Nations, a body dedicated to creating a unified set of principles aimed at improving health, welfare, human rights and social justice across the globe. NZ didn’t just preach, we lead by example and today we can proudly say that we are citizens of a country that ranks highly in almost every indicator list of positive endeavour. At our best we are a profoundly enlightened society and we should be well pleased with what we have achieved down here at the world’s end.

Union and its relationship with apartheid-era South Africa was successfully challenged by a population who felt that enough was enough, and we finally began to lay to rest prejudice based on sexuality with the Homosexual Law Reform Bill. Along with all this came a change in economic direction. The walls of fortress NZ (as some critics called it) were torn down and the doors to our economy were thrown open, making us at that time the most open economy in the world. Whole industries shut down overnight as the economy was reset, but the most notable change was the adoption of a new economic philosophy, one that stated unequivocally that ‘greed was good’, and by allowing greed to have free reign we would all benefit. It was called the free market and for it to work properly, decades of legislation dedicated to controlling our worst tendencies as regard to money needed to be rolled back a few metres.

“Grandpa’s ongoing conversation with me concerned Michael Joseph Savage, NZ’s first Labour Prime Minister, the man who led the nation out of the great depression and into economic prosperity.”

that suggests if you are aren’t in love with the idea of the accumulation of money, you aren’t properly in the game. At the moment those that glorify money are steering the ship and this has not been good for what has been traditionally a society dedicated to the idea of egalitarianism*. As a result, our psyche has become somewhat unbalanced and I will even go as far as to say that we are in a phase of spiritual desertification. That is, a nation without a higher calling or purpose. Traditionally a nation that leads, lately NZ seems to be drifting, unsure of who and what we stand for as a society and what we want for our future outside of financial prosperity. It’s time we sat down and started talking about it. * Egalitarianism is a trend of thought in political philosophy. An egalitarian favours equality of some sort. People should get the same, or be treated the same, or be treated as equals, in some respect. NEW ZEALAND ARTISTS, POLITICIANS AND MUSICIANS SPEAK Question: What kind of future do you want for our country?

We number among the least corrupt, the freest (way ahead of America, the erstwhile land of the free) and the most socially progressive. Our public health care system is one of the best and our education system has led the way internationally for decades. The 1980s were especially tumultuous for NZ, a decade that saw us examining our culture with a rigour unseen since the 1930s. We stood up to the political might of France and United States on the nuclear weapons issue and won. The culturally powerful Rugby

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The results have been mixed. We remain a prosperous nation but the gap between the ‘haves’ and ‘have-nots’ has been steadily increasing, a worrying trend bearing in mind that in the 1970s this country boasted the most equitable distribution of wealth in the world. That is, the gap between the wealthiest and least wealthy was minimal, perhaps a statistic worth celebrating above all others. How times have changed. These days, financial success is openly celebrated and is accompanied by a disturbing social undercurrent

Answer: Clean, green and smart – a place where we all have a chance to achieve our dreams. “It used to be that way. A few years ago, I was leading a team in West Africa, advising the Sierra Leonean government on its elections. We were all sitting around a table one day and someone asked, “what schools did you all go to?” As people started to answer, I realised everyone else in the team had attended incredibly prestigious schools: Eton, Harrow and private schools in the US.

When it came to my turn, I said “Papatoetoe High School.” Then I sat back and thought, “you might have all gone to flash schools - but I’m your boss.” The New Zealand education system had done all right by me. We pride ourselves on everyone having an equal opportunity. But now we’re seeing bigger gaps between rich and poor. I’m in politics with the aim of reversing that. Another thing that’s important to me is diversifying the economy. We still have an economy that’s the same as the 1960s – sending largely unprocessed goods overseas. The future for high-paid jobs lies in a smarter way. I think that’s about green technology and adding value. But it’s not one or the other, it’s both.” - David Shearer MP

“Living on Waiheke has given me a great perspective on how we choose to live. Waiheke Island is made up of a real cross section of people and it’s a very tolerant inclusive environment with a strong community. We really don’t need a lot in life to be content. I am disturbed by the level of materialism and consumerism at the moment and I’m not immune by any means, but taking pleasure in the simple things in life and being mindful of others and the environment gives me a level of peace. Like other NZers I am concerned about the TPP and it’s potential consequences and the lack of information the public has been given about it. It’s important for New Zealanders to question what it means and demand transparency from our government.” - Mahoney Harris, Musician

“It seems that if you are not running after the cash you are letting the side down. In actuality most of us are not running after cash. We do our work, look after the people we love, we think about the future of this place and we try to do our bit to make it better, and our every waking moment is not devoted to increasing our market share. The prevailing philosophy of the people who are running this country treats those sort of people as a by catch and as surplus to requirements. We are living in age that lacks foresight and imagination.” - Don McGlashan, Musician “I think being a New Zealander means that I am part of an isolated community that has to stick together or we’ll all fall off the end of the earth.” - Sam Scott, Musician Phoenix Foundation “New Zealand is the most beautiful country in the world, as is clearly stated in the UN Charter. (I think it’s in Article 17). The land is nourished by warm sunshine each morning and receives the benediction of good rainfall around lunchtime. It is an egalitarian nation made up of well over four million rugged individualists and naturally gifted sportspeople and is run on alternate days by the government and whoever bought the national infrastructure.” - John Clarke, Satirist “Being a Kiwi gives me a sense of liberation from the busy, ‘rustle bustle’ of the rest of the world, which keeps me at peace knowing how lucky I am to be in such a loving, naturalistic place of comfort.” - Brendon Thomas, Musician “Nina Hagen said it, so it must be true – the Future is Now and the time to act to get what we want

and need is right now. Let’s be better, be greener and be more compassionate, and create a New Zealand where everyone has what they need to succeed. That’s what gets me out of bed in the morning to do the work I do as co-leader of the fastest growing political party in the country. So what does the future look like? We are a Te Tiritibased nation, we end child poverty, everyone lives in warm, healthy homes and has great jobs that pay decent wages. Our rivers and oceans are protected well beyond our lifetime and climate change is dealt with as an opportunity for new ideas in sustainable energy, transport and urban form. It’s a hell of list, but it’s totally doable. Our system is out of balance at the moment but I believe we can have an economy that works for all of us. We just need to design the policy so it does. If we engage, if we listen to one another, if we keep in mind what’s really important, then we can get there, even if, on some days, we have our doubts. Lord knows, that happens often enough in Parliament. I guess what I’m really saying is that we make the future we want every day. And so, to end like I started on a cheesy musician’s quote – we created it, let’s take it over!” - Metiria Turei, MP “I’m really proud to identify myself as a Kiwi. I’ve lived in Auckland my whole life and so I guess I find it hard to show some perspective at times. Musically speaking I’ve found New Zealand to be a really positive environment to grow up in. I’ve been lucky enough to have the opportunity to work with a lot of local artists and writers. I love collaborating, especially in an environment that seems to be so free of massive egos.” - Maala, Musician

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RUSSEL NORMAN

THE TR ANS PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT

THE FORMER LEADER OF THE GREEN PARTY WROTE RIP IT UP AN ELOQUENT DECLARATION OF ECONOMIC INDEPENDENCE. WE THINK IT ROCKS.

interests allowed to see the text, and it will introduce very significant disciplines on the things that governments can do. If the New Zealand government signs it, in secret, the Cabinet will ratify it without requiring any vote of parliament.

WE NEED GOOD global governance in order to live together on this crowded planet, our only home. The 1987 Montreal Protocol, a multinational agreement to phase out the worst ozone destroying chemicals, saved life as we know it. And this year we need an ambitious global agreement on dramatically reducing greenhouse emissions. These treaties, along with many others, are part of the global governance arrangements that are necessary for billions of people sharing one small planet. These treaties faced, and face, opposition from vested interests, but they have been negotiated more or less openly and they are clearly in our collective best interests.

Is it a good addition to global governance? I think not.

The Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement is an attempt to add another element to global governance. It is being negotiated in secret, with only vested

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From leaked texts, it is clear that the TPPA will contain investor state dispute settlement (ISDS) clauses – this means that multinational corporations will be able to sue governments in secret offshore tribunals with no appeal rights if governments do things that the corporations think will cost them money. And the cost to governments can be enormous. Sound far fetched? Try this example. A Swedish power company, Vattenfall, didn’t like the environmental regulations that were imposed on their new coal fired power station in Hamburg. So they lodged an ISDS case for over a billion Euros against the German government. The German government backed down,

“From leaked texts, it is clear that the TPPA will contain investor state dispute settlement (ISDS) clauses – this means that multinational corporations will be able to sue governments in secret offshore tribunals with no appeal rights if governments do things that the corporations think will cost them money.” settled out of court, and the environmental regulations were removed. Sounds bad. The next chapter of the story is even more remarkable. After the Fukushima nuclear disaster, the German government and parliament decided to phase out nuclear power. Vattenfall runs nuclear power stations and, fresh from their last ISDS victory, they sued the German government for NZ$6.2 billion to compensate them for the phase out decision. The case is still in (secret) hearings. You can see how a government might think twice before taking steps to protect the environment or human health when they might face a huge ISDS case with uncertain outcomes. The biggest case so far was US$2.3

billion awarded against Ecuador in a non-appealable two-toone vote on an ISDS panel – the beneficiary was the oil company Occidental. This chills regulation. It is why the New Zealand government stopped plans to have plain packaging on cigarette packages after the tobacco company Phillip Morris sued Australia under ISDS for doing just that (the case is ongoing, Australia has so far spent $50m on legal fees). We really need good global governance that enables us to deal with some of the greatest challenges that the human race has ever faced. We need to work together to look after each other and this planet, the only place we can live. We really don’t need bad global governance that restricts our ability to act rationally and democratically.

THE EGALITARIAN ILLUSION Dick Frizzell I remember one boy in my (primary) class who came from a family that had ‘bad lawns’ and dog bones in the yard, and he even came to a fancy dress costume day dressed as a compost heap! His mother had stitched cauliflower leaves and potato peelings to a sheet of scrim that draped over his head and down to the ground. I remember the way his dirty blond hair poked through the scrim! I thought it was amazingly original and should have won, me feeling a bit over-dressed in my fancy Davy Crockett outfit that Mum had so cleverly cut and sewed for me out of real lamb leather from the freezing works Dad was the Chief Engineer there and he seemed to love his noisy, oily engine room, presiding as he did over the compressors that sent the ammonia out through the freezing chambers. He was offered the job of chief of the whole shebang once but he turned it down. Too much hassle.

HE’S ONE OF NEW ZEALAND’S GENUINELY ICONIC VISUAL ARTISTS WHOSE OWN ART INCORPORATES A WEALTH OF NOSTALGIC KIWIANA. RIP IT UP STARTED THE CONVERSATION ABOUT OUR EGALITARIAN PAST, AND NOW, DICK FRIZZELL PICKS AT THE SCAB. MY MOST ABIDING memory, before the cynicism hit the fan,

was of a fairly representative community living in a pretty typical neighbourhood near the edge of the (then) small town of Hastings, Hawkes Bay, and nobody seeming to be particularly poor, and nobody seeming to be particularly wealthy. I’m a bit of an expert on this because I used to do bicycle deliveries for the local chemist shop after school. Man…I saw it al! Sure, there were some houses that came across as a bit posh, a bit of pebble dash and a frosted glass front door and some who came across as a bit scruffier.

We seemed to have enough is what I’m saying. Everybody seemed to have enough in their way. And another curious memory: nobody ever appeared to ever have anything new. I’m quite taken with that notion when I look back. Everything was second-hand, or perhaps everything just looked secondhand. This year’s Columbus cabinet radio looked like last year’s Columbus cabinet radio! I don’t know how it worked. I guess some things must have been new, like my Roman sandals for intermediate school. And I was the first born anyway so no hand-me-downs for Richard! But because there was no fashion as such, a new shirt was only new until the first wash, and then it looked exactly like your old

shirt! And my high school shorts had a huge patch like riding breeches reinforcement on the arse, and I never thought it meant I was from a ‘poor’ family. So in a curious way this so-called ‘egalitarian age’ was true, but only because of a strange and virtually invisible paradox. It was only possible because a tiny percentage of the population owned and controlled all the wealth from the country’s imports and exports, and the remaining 99 percent lived by their grace pretty much. And it worked because that huge percentage made it feel like it was ‘normal’. It was almost feudal when you look back on it in that light. And of course it couldn’t last. The inevitable happened. The 20th Century happened and those very convenient monopolies were broken up and we know what happened next. It was like a Viking raid on a sleepy village! And we’re still reeling from it. The same way we’re still reeling (often literally) from the impact of the very well meaning but insanely wrongheaded licensing laws we used to operate under! We’re still jumping about with excitement at being ‘allowed’ to have a drink just about anytime and anywhere we like and the same fever still abounds in the market place. I don’t think we’re going to rediscover that old egalitarian urge (as skewed as it was) to care and share, and where the strong feel compelled to look after the weak, until we get a little less gleeful about owning MONEY. What a funny little community of released Calvinists we are in NZ. But I love it.

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PAUL MARTIN’S ESSENTIALS YOU’LL KNOW PAUL MARTIN AS A DJ ON THE ROCK, HOST OF THE AXE ATTACK - ONE OF NZ’S LONGEST-RUNNING RADIO SHOWS - AND FROM HIS MUSIC. CURRENTLY THE LEADER OF NZ’S HOTTEST HARDROCKING BAND DEVILSKIN, HE HAS ALSO BEEN A MEMBER OF BLACKJACK AND METAL LEGENDS KNIGHTSHADE. Paul Martin’s Top Five inspirational Kiwi musicians (his own bandmates aside):

“I have a select few guitar students who I see regularly, and I find that they, especially the younger ones, really do motivate me a lot. They bring my perspective down to earth and strip back all the trimmings ‘til it’s just about the guitar. I love it. I do have to say in all honesty though that the musician that inspires me the most of all is my son, Nicholai. He is a gifted musician and songwriter and very humble and not afraid of putting the hours in. Nic also plays guitar, piano, ukulele and anything I put in front of him. For me, to be playing music with him is such a beautiful thing. I treasure every moment.” - PAUL MARTIN

- Richie Pickett - Craig Radford (Sticky Filth) - Darren Broughton (The Nod) - Wayne Elliott (Knightshade) - Rik Bernards (Knightshade)

METAL

HARD ROCK

Black Sabbath Sabotage

UFO Force It

Black Sabbath Master Of Reality

Judas Priest Sad Wings Of Destiny

Armoured Saint Symbol Of Salvation

Deep Purple Machine Head

Ozzy Osbourne Diary Of A Madman

Free Tons Of Sobs

Judas Priest British Steel

Uriah Heep Very ‘eavy, Very ‘umble

The Nod Thirsty Work (NZ)

UFO Strangers In The Night

Cripple Mr Onion Antigravity (NZ)

Ted Nugent Live Gonzo

Pantera Vulgar Display Of Power

Glenn Hughes From Now On

Dio Holy Diver

Thin Lizzy Renegade

Anthrax Worship Music

Led Zeppelin I

Delaney Davidson “Lucky Guy” 5 stars * * * * * NZ Herald, Available LP, CD, Digital

Released September 25th LP, CD, Digital

Available on CD & LP

Released September 18th CD

New Releases from Southbound! Distributed by Southbound Distribution | www.southbound.co.nz

EXCELLENT WILL ALWAYS ADBE MADE WITH PRIDE

Tanja Jade McMillan AKA Misery is a visual artist and wears the NB 574 newbalance.co.nz/classics @NBClassicsNZ

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666

Congratulations To Our Winner

Clinton Stead

PHOTO CREDIT: CLINTON STEAD

ANDREW JOHNSTONE

METAL IS A RELIGION “Iron Maiden Is Thinking Mans Metal.” - Clinton Stead THE WINNER OF RIP IT UP’S CONTESTWIN A SEAT ON MAIDEN 666, GOES TO EUROPE AND PARTIES LIKE THERE’S ‘NO TOMORROW’. For the winner of recent Iron Maiden contest Clinton Stead, Metal is a Religion, and on Wednesday the 26th of August he got to stand with a “bunch of freaks like myself” and worship in Iron Maiden’s recording studio with one of his heroes Bruce Dickinson, the bands vocalist. The prize, the biggest in Rip It Up’s 38 years history, was a seat on the Bruce Dickinson piloted plane, Maiden 666 from Cardiff to Paris, this after listening to the new Iron Maiden album Book of Souls with Bruce and 140 other hard core fans in the bands Cardiff studio. Clinton: “The first song was all Bruce and last song was an 18 minute long epic with Bruce playing the piano, the rest was classic old school Maiden with sing along fist pumping choruses. It was bloody long at 92 minutes, and the time just went which to my mind says ‘great record.’ It wasn’t in the least bit boring.” “There was an endless supply of fancy sandwiches and French cakes, beer and wine and Bruce stood around with us and chatted. He was a really funny, down to earth guy and we partied hard,” this after a night of partying with The Mexican, The Russian and The Swede (a bomb disposal expert), a fellowship of hard core Maiden fans, two of whom had seen the band play live 25 times. “We found this little pub near the hotel and we drank the place dry. It was a crazy night and the next morning ‘The Russian’ came up to me in the hotel foyer and asked

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me if he had done anything crazy as he couldn’t remember. I said, “bro, it was mental” and he said “fucking great.” The fellowship grabbed the backseat on the bus to the airport for their flight on Maiden 666 and “behaved badly all the way.” Then came the flight, Cardiff to Paris, which Clinton describes as the event as a Metal Head’s “wet dream.” “One of the stewardess’s wore my Iron Maiden jacket for the whole flight and Bruce kept us entertained from the cockpit with his Benny Hill style humour and every time he spoke, we all roared and punched our arms in the air” Clinton gives the new album 10/10 and rates the experience as 11/10 especially Paris’ which was something of a revelation, “Those Parisian women are so bloody good looking. They were all lean and had golden skin and were dressed in the most amazing clothes.” Besides the sights, Clint indulged his other passion record shopping and recommends Paris record store Monster Melody as “organised chaos and one of the best record stores I have ever been too.” Cardiff, a city Clint describes as a “beautiful little town,” was also a goldmine of “excellent record stores that included the world’s oldest, Spiller’s Records, which opened in 1893. Sadly, by the time I got there they were closed.” Clint muses for a moment before adding, “After seeing all these stores, I still reckon that Auckland’s Real Groovy is the absolute ‘best ever’ record store ever.” I finish up our interview by asking Clint how he felt when he learned he had won the contest, “It blew my mind and it felt was

like I was ‘tripping’. I couldn’t believe it. I went to the Titirangi Cosmopolitan Club that night and everyone said I looked shocked.” Clint is a bloody great guy and proved to be the perfect Kiwi Metal Ambassador.

"RIP IT UP SALUTES THOSE SUPPORTERS

Iron Maiden’s new album Book Of Souls will be released internationally on September 4 (Warner Music NZ). This is the band’s 16th studio album and follows 2010’s The Final frontier which went to number one in 28 countries.

CLINT ALSO RECEIVED...

Steve Harris the band bassist: “We approached this album in a different way to how we’ve recorded previously. A lot of the songs were actually written while we were there in the studio and we rehearsed and recorded them straight away while they were still fresh, and I think that immediacy really shows in the songs, they have almost a live feel to them, I think. I’m very proud of The Book Of Souls, we all are, and we can’t wait for our fans to hear it, and especially to take it out on the road next year!” Bruce Dickinson: “We’re really excited about The Book Of Souls and had a fantastic time creating it. We started working on the album in late summer 2014 and recorded it at Guillame Tell Studios in Paris, where we’d done the Brave New World album back in 2000 so the studio holds special memories for all of us. We were delighted to discover the same magical vibe is still alive and very much kicking there! So we immediately felt at home and the ideas just started flowing. By the time we’d finished we all agreed that each track was such an integral part of the whole body of work that if it needed to be a double album, then double its going to be!”

WHO MADE THIS EXPERIENCE HAPPEN FOR CLINT: LISA AND PHIL @ WARNER MUSIC, RYAN & BRAD AT OTAUTAHI TATTOO, JO @ LOGITECH, STU @ TRIPLEROCK VODKA, DAVID @ FLIGHT CENTRE.

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ANDREW JOHNSTONE

Q& A WITH SAM SCOTT OF THE PHOENIX FOUNDATION metal band when I was 15 is probably what tipped the balance from being a chef into being a musician. 3. What instruments do you play and please tell us a little about your relationship with your instruments? I probably mostly see myself as a guitarist but I do like to dabble on whatever keyboard instrument is at hand. I like machines, I like to fiddle with synths and pedals and samples and recording devices. Changing the way things sound is as exciting as playing well and that is probably more

with the way GUYD was made. Usually I write (or half write) a song and bring that to the band who then mangle and wrestle it into something we like. But on this record a lot of the tracks started as midi demos (or beat box iphone recordings) of Luke’s. He was seeking out new rhythm worlds and was determined to make this album a completely new sound for us. So in order to fit in with that I had to make myself useful and try and find the pop songs within the mangled beats. So it was upside down for us, but that’s what you have to do to not fall into the same easy

“My mum was the one who actually pushed me to play instruments but it was my dad who played loud classic rock records on Saturday mornings.”

THE PHOENIX FOUNDATION ARE BACK WITH A NEW ALBUM GIVE UP YOUR DREAMS. FOUNDING MEMBER SAM SCOTT TALKS ABOUT LIFE, MUSIC AND THE ALBUM. 1. You are the offspring of legendary satirist Tom Scott. Please tell us something about growing up in the Scott household. Well in the 80s especially I remember a lot of interesting characters coming through our house. People like David Lange, Sam Hunt or Dun Mihaka. I don’t know if that had any effect on who I am as a musician, but it’s good to know that activists are usually pretty nice and also famous or exceptional people are actual just as faulty and human as everyone else. My mum was the one who actually pushed me

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to play instruments but it was my dad who played loud classic rock records on Saturday mornings. 2. When did you first start realising that music was going to be your thing? What was the first music you remember hearing and the first songs and artists you fell in love with? It was definitely The Beatles. Beatles cassettes in the car stereo. I think around the age of 8 I heard a few hip-hop records and I remember being mesmerised by the attitude. Public Enemy, Grandmaster Flash; it was the way they dressed as much as anything else. Grandmaster Flash and Furious five looked like punk rock super heroes. I don’t think I realised I could actually be a musician in real life until I met Conrad and Luke. They knew they were going to be musicians and they seemed to think I was going to be one too. So being asked to be the singer in a heavy

important to this band than having classic instruments and classy tones; having gadgets to make things sound new and exciting. I do feel very close to my Yamaha acoustic. I’ve had since I was 15, it’s not fancy but it plays real easy and sounds great. I’ve written a lot of songs on it, taken it on countless tours. I occasionally try to convince myself I need a 50s Gibson or Martin acoustic but in reality I am very happy with the guitar that I know really well. I have quite a thing for Japanese Teisco guitars. They sound great and are pretty cheap, plus they look like spaceships. 4. Please explain your personal creative process and then enlarge on the theme by explaining how the Phoenix Foundation works as a creative unit. Well this is a very interesting topic in relation to this album as my creative process, in TPF at least, had to change to fit in

patterns. In the end every record ends up being a collaboration that centres around the producer songwriter side (Luke, Conrad and me) and then how that is realised by the dudes who can play music really, really well (Will, Chris and Tom). 5. The evolution of the Phoenix Foundation. How did it all come about? In some ways it feels like three or different bands that just all happen to have the same name and most of the same dudes. We have been doing it for so long that when I listen to the music we made 15+ years ago it’s hard to connect with all of it. That doesn’t really answer your question though! It all came about because Conrad, Luke and I were the three people who really wanted to be in a good band in our 5th form music class. It wasn’t so much shared taste as a shared desire to actually be good. We’ve been trying to get good ever since.

6. You have been together for 21 years. You have toured the world and have recorded 6 Albums. How have you maintained this startling longevity? I dunno, everyone expects bands to breakup but we just haven’t really had any good reasons to. We’ve talked, as friends about how we can make ends meet as we get older and you know need to feed our kids, but Luke has said, “I have no idea what to do if I don’t make music.” It’s like we have gone past the point of no return. It’s all outlined in the song Give Up Your Dreams, it’s a nice idea but it’s actually kind of impossible to not want to be successful. 7. The new album is called Give Up Your Dreams and the title track, (on high rotate on Rip It Up Radio), tells us that you guys are giving up on your dreams of making it through to the big time. Please explain. We felt like things didn’t go as well with Fandango as expected. I don’t know what we expected really, but Buffalo had been a real breakthrough for us and maybe Fandango was a slight backwards step career wise. But career is just about the grossest word in the world so ignore that last sentence. So yeah, we were extravagantly bumming out that the singles from Fandango weren’t getting great airplay, that sort of boring stuff, and we were on tour with Lawrence Arabia (James Milne). I think he’d already talked to Luke about his GUYD attitude, but he explained to me, at least, in Manchester before a gig. His vibe was that the only way to protect yourself from anxious self-destruction was to stop believing you would ever be successful. It’s a defensive wall of acceptance in your own faulty, flailing humanity. It definitely struck a chord with me. I wanted to believe it. I needed to give up my dreams. I haven’t of course, I’m watching the progress of the new album with as much self doubt and hope as always. But at least we got a really great

song and album title out of it! And the gig after James’ GUYD sermon was awesome, a really cool venue, James played great; the crowd was very warm to him and us. It was a bunch of friends playing a really cool show on the other side of the world to NZ and I felt like I just had to let myself enjoy these moments. So for me GUYD is about ignoring excessive aspirations so one can enjoy realistic achievements. 8. I would argue that while big time success remains elusive you are actually extremely successful. You are all making a living from music. Who could ask for more? Well exactly, and that’s a big problem for me with the album title; I do not want people to think it’s a whinge. We are doing fine. We just want to be sustainable and this point we sort of are. If I can spout some cheese it is truly the love we get from our NZ audiences that makes our lives possible. We wouldn’t be touring Europe or mixing with Dave Friddmann or playing on Later…With Jools Holland if our NZ universe wasn’t backing that all up. I also think a reason we are still around and still doing ok is because it’s been such a slow burn towards success for us. We were never the cool new band, and we certainly wont be now! So we’ve never had to come down from that high. 9. The Phoenix Foundation is often referred to as an Alt-Rock band. When I listen to your music I hear an extraordinarily adept pop band whose sound incorporates elements as diverse as The Beatles, Hip Hop, Disco, EDM and Rock while maintaining a unique integrity. You sound very ‘New Zealand’ and by that I mean: quirky, melodic, introverted and inventive. Your thoughts on my analysis and some thoughts on what you think the NZ sound is. Ha-ha, did I mention EDM to you the other day? We do seem to be using more side-chain compression than we used to but

I’m not sure if we really have any Guetta influences. I don’t think there is any such thing as the ‘NZ sound’. There are a lot of New Zealand musicians who support each other and lend each other gear we tour, and promote each other. That’s what makes NZ special, that we don’t have an exclusive scene where genre defines who you’re friend with. I am always super stoked to bump into bands at music festivals from all corners of the musical spectrum. It could be Voom or Ladi 6 and Parks, or Neil Finn, Dave Dobbyn or Shapeshifter or The Clean…bands that

have a great time and enjoy playing music in a new place. I love how with twitter now you get tagged in by little radio stations around the world. We seem to get played a bit on indie stations in Central America. Maybe we’d only get three people to a gig in San Salvador, but man that would be fun. 11. The future for the band, that and dreams of the future. We have some great stuff lined up for the GUYD tour and release. Some of it sounds a bit Spinal Tap….like a tiny G U Y D stone henge. I really hope we pull

“I think being a New Zealander means that I am part of an isolated community that has to stick together or we’ll all fall off the end of the earth.” sound nothing like each other, nothing like us, but these are people who we share the bond of isolation with. That’s what ties NZ bands to each other, we’ve done our thing at the edge of planet earth. Our manager looks after The Black Seeds and us, two completely different bands but we are great ‘band-friends’ and so we should be. We are in a great position in TPF in that we have changed so much over the years that we can really do whatever we want. We are pretty wonky at making hip-hop but we do it. And why shouldn’t we? It may not be our best work, but we’ll get something out of it and so will a few listeners maybe. When we dabble with afro-beat or house or metal we are only doing it out of an honest love for music in all its forms. 10. Tell us about some of the places you have played around the world and where are you most popular on the international stage? Most of our touring has been the UK and Northern Europe. We certainly have small followings in a few towns, mostly the places you’d expect; London, Berlin, Amsterdam. It’s nothing huge, but it’s enough to go there and

that off, so silly. We’ll be touring this album for a while and I think the band is all so excited about how far we took the album that we want to go there with the live shows too. And then Luke already has another concept for the next album. I can’t go into details but I think it’s going to require some serious hard drive space. 12. Please Samuel, a difficult question but one I ask often. What does being a New Zealander mean to you personally? I would like to the John Lennon fifth amendment on this one. I’m not big fan of full-blown patriotism and if anything I’d rather be know as a Pakeha dude from Newtown. If I have to say something then I’ll go back to my point about NZ band; I think being a New Zealander means that I am part of an isolated community that has to stick together or we’ll all fall off the end of the earth.

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10 THINGS ABOUT JILL SCOTT

MARY J BILGE, LAURYN HILL AND THE LEGENDARY JILL SCOTT ARE HEADLINING SOULFEST 2015, WESTERN SPRINGS STADIUM OCTOBER 25. 1. Neo-Soul Singer Jill Scott is from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Born in 1972, Scott was raised her Jehovah’s Witness mother and grandmother and describes her childhood as a happy one. After graduating Philadelphia High School for Girls she attended Temple University and studied teaching. She wanted to teach High School English but after working as a teachers aide became disillusioned and dropped out. “I think the first time I really heard poetry was in the schoolyard, just the little limericks that kids say when they’re jumping rope and playing games. I think that’s the first time I heard rhyming words—I don’t know if I’d call that the definitive poetry, but that’s when I heard rhyming words said and not necessarily sung. And then later on, I was in the eighth grade and our teacher, Ms. Danish, gave us a list of people that we could to do a biography on, and Nikki Giovanni was on the list. I didn’t know she was, but I thought she had a cool name. Nikki

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Giovanni! I got a book of hers from the library, and there was this woman who could paint me on paper with words—my whole little experience. I thought it was wonderful.” 2. She worked a variety of jobs including construction and in the evenings performed as a Spoken Word Artist. She was discovered by Amir ‘Questlove’ Thompson of Hip Hop/Neo-Soul band The Roots. Questlove invited her to join the band in the studio. The collaboration resulted in a co-writing credit for Scott on the song, You Got Me. In 2000, The Roots won a Grammy for best rap performance by a duo or group for “You Got Me. Subsequently, Scott collaborated with Eric benet, Will Smith and Common and broadened her performing experience by touring Canada in a production of the Broadway musical Rent. She calls quitting Rent in 1999 as her Best Mistake: “I did eight shows a week, under the same lights, wearing the same clothes every time, and it was a challenge for me—I wanted to do something different every day. Part of me wishes I had continued, because then I might have become a stronger actress. But instead, I decided to refocus my energies—and I put out my first album a year later.”

3. Scott was signed to Hidden Beach Records and her first album Who Is Jill Scott? Words and Sounds Vo.1 was released in 2000. The album peaked at number 17 on the Billboard Mainstream charts and eventually went double platinum. She has Released 4 solo albums. 2011s Light Of The Sun took down the top spot on the Billboard album charts upon release.Early in 2010, Scott was sued by Hidden Beach Records for leaving halfway through her six album contract. Scott countersued that claim.The case was settled and Scott has signed a distribution deal with Warners and has promised a new album before the of 2015. 4. Best Advice: “My grandmother told me ‘Never be in debt to anyone or anything’. 5. Scott has a son from her second relationship with drummer Lil’ John Robert’s. “Being a mom, it feels like I did something so powerful and amazing. It’s such a gigantic blessing, and a confirmation that the Creator exists. And all of that has made me feel sexier and stronger. I call it ‘lava in my spine’.” “Heartbreak was the impetus to me writing poems and music in the first place. Over the years, I had my heart broken so badly that if I didn’t find a way to get all the pain out, I was going to lose my mind. I was crazy! Like, wanting to slash tires and smash car windows. Crazy! I was so hurt that I had to write.” 6. Scott has established the Blues Babe Foundation, a program founded to help young minority students pay for university expenses. The foundation was named after Scott’s grandmother, who is known as Blue Babe. On the foundation’s website, it defines its mission statement

as one where it “seeks to provide financial support and mentoring for those students who have shown the aptitude and commitment to their education, but whose families may not have the resources to ensure completion of their undergraduate degrees.” 7. At the Essence Music Festival in July 2006, Scott spoke out about how women of colour are portrayed in the lyrics of rap songs, and in rap music videos. Scott criticized the content for being “dirty, inappropriate, inadequate, unhealthy, and polluted” and urged the listening audience to “demand more”. 8. In 2011 at An Evening of Poetry at The White House she read, amongst other works, Womanifesto from her 2011 album Light Of The Sun. “I really feel like women are being compartmentalized, externally and internally. The concept behind “Womanifesto,” is to look at the other parts of yourself. I am a woman; I love being a woman. I have to define myself as larger and greater than my body parts. You are not just an ear, elbow or a knee you’re an entity. We all are. I just see how society is just putting us in little boxes. I see how we do it to ourselves. I think we are more then just our physicality, we grow and we demand more and we appreciate more about ourselves. So that’s “Womanifesto,” and I would easily suggest to any woman to write her own!” 9. Scott took acting classes in 2000 and has since appeared in 10 feature films, including Tyler Perry’s Why Did I get married, and 6 television shows including Sci-Fi series Fringe and the No.1 Detective Ladies’ Agency 10. On Men: “I like a man who smells good. Puts on cologne, lotions his body. It keeps me wanting. I like feeling that way.”

SO WHAT...

Jennifer Lawrence is the world’s highest paid female actor according to Forbes, raking in US$52 million in 2015. The 25-year-old Hunger Games star banked US$16.5m more than second placed Scarlett Johansson, with US$35.5m. It puts Lawrence ahead of most of the men. Only Avengers star Robert Downey Jnr is ahead with earnings of US$80m. Bridesmaids star Melissa McCarthy came third with US$23m and she’s now one of the most sought after stars in Hollywood. The listings have also highlighted the Hollywood pay gap. Only four female actors made more than US$20m, while 21 male actors banked US$20m-plus.

Motorhead’s Lemmy has been told to cut back on smoking and drinking, but thinks he is most likely to expire on his tour bus, because that is where he feels “most at home.” He said: “I’ve had some health scares, I’ve had to really cut back on smoking and drinking and whatever. But it is what it is. I’ve had a good life, a good run. I do what I do still. I’m sure I’ll die on the road, one way or another.” While the vocalist has a house in Los Angeles, he says he doesn’t know where home is, because he spends more time on Motorhead’s tour bus with his band mates.

Iron Maiden’s Bruce Dickinson has entered the pop-up market selling privatet jets in Harrods. The 57-year-old singer is the chairman of Aeris Aviation, which is running the store. He is also the founder of Cardiff Aviation, which is to develop a national airline for the East African nation of Djibouti. The Evening Standard reports that Aeris is selling six-seater Eclipse 550 jets, which sell for around £2.2m. The pop-up store will be in place in Harrods through August, and buyers will get jets that are customised with Harrods branding, and a $50,000 store card.

A Blackadder reunion could be on the cards, 26 years after the iconic sitcom ended. Sir Tony Robinson, who played Baldrick, has spoken to the rest of the BBC show’s cast about making a new series, and it seems they are all up for it. He told The Sun newspaper: “I do think a new series of Blackadder is on the cards. I have spoken to virtually all the cast about this now.” However, he admitted Hugh Laurie could be a stumbling block, with Robinson adding: “The only problem is Hugh’s fee. He’s a huge star now - or so he’d like to think”.

Eb & Sparrow Sun/Son

Nationwide tour September / October 2015

NZ Herald The Listener Rip It Up

”an extraordinary showcase of originality and musicality” - Barry Saunders

RECORDS

southbound.co.nz/shop

Album available now in all good record stores!

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tour with thanks to

ANNA CODDINGTON who could play it, and another took the bass. We used to try and hack our way through cover songs but would always get stuck at some point not knowing the chords. When I walked in with my own song we played it right through start to finish and no one could tell us it was wrong because we had made it and it was the best feeling in the world ever.

past negatives and not letting them block future positives. Clearing the slate. Everyone has people and experiences from their past that taint their view of what’s on the horizon and it can be tricky to let them go and just see new things for what they are. I wrote that song early 2013 and at first it was just a beat programmed in a shitty Pro Tools plug in and a crap sounding synth

“The show is really cool. It’s going to be so much fun both for us and the audience! We’ll be playing new songs, older songs, and some fun covers.”

Please describe to us your journey through music up to now. Drums at 11, guitar at 12/13, songwriting at 15, and then I was hooked. I wrote songs incessantly from that point on, and still do.

ANNA CODDINGTON COMES FROM RAGLAN. SHE USED TO BE IN A BAND CALLED HANDSOME GEOFFREY. THEY WON THE SMOKEFREE ROCKQUEST IN 1998. SHE’S AN ACCLAIMED SINGERSONGWRITER WITH TWO ALBUMS UNDER HER BELT. SHE ROSE TO THE OCCASION FOR THE GREAT RIP IT UP Q&A.

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Tell us a little about yourself, your background, upbringing and life in general. I grew up in Raglan, which is mostly known for its high percentage of surfers and hippies. I am neither (okay, maybe I have some hippy tendencies). It’s a great place for music and creative pursuits of any kind. I used to play the drums for an hour every day after school and not once did a neighbour ever complain. I can’t imagine that in Auckland. When did you first begin to realise that music was going to play a big part in your life? When I wrote my first song, which was called ‘I Sort Of Love You’. My band at the time was myself and two other girls, all of us drummers. I defaulted to guitar because I was the only one

How does your creative process work and from where do you glean inspiration? It has changed a lot over time and I really don’t have one process now. Because my time is mostly not my own now (parent life!), I get a lot of inspiration at times when it’s not practical to do anything about it - driving is a common one. I always get song ideas while I’m driving. Or running. So I often sing them into my phone and listen back when I can to see if they’re worth pursuing. I have a home studio, which is always set up and ready for me to go in and tinker. I just go in there and follow the song. Pick up the bass, pick up the guitar, plug in the microphone, and make a beat. Whatever I feel like. The idea needs to fulfil itself, if that doesn’t sound too artwanky. What’s the inspiration for your new single ‘Slate’? That song is about letting go of

bass line. The recording process was ongoing over two years but it really started to take shape when I got Jeremy Toy (from She’s So Rad) to play some guitar and then Mike Hall and Chris O’Connor on bass and drums. There is double bass and electric bass in place of the crappy synth. I think it sounds great. You’re about to hit the road with Lips. What’s the show like and where will you be going? We’ll be hitting Wellington, Nelson, Takaka, Christchurch, Oamaru, Dunedin, Wanaka, Napier, Hamilton and Auckland! Ten shows. I can’t wait. The show is really cool. It’s going to be so much fun both for us and the audience! We are performing most of it as a three-piece: me on guitar, and Lips is Steph Brown on three different analogue synths, and Fen Ikner on drums and other noises. We all sing. We’ll be playing new songs, older songs, and some fun covers. Buy tickets online at eventfinda. co.nz and get a free download of my new single and Lips’ new single. SELL! HUSTLE! Ha. That’s our current tour catchphrase. We really want people to see this show!

KATE POWELL

FOALS

FOALS HAVE BEEN DOING MORE THAN JUST HORSING AROUND IN THE SOUTH OF FRANCE, SINGER YANNIS PHILIPPAKIS EXPLAINS TO OUR OWN KATE POWELL.

Now they’re back with their fourth studio album What Went Down.

IN BOTH ART and life, progression is something that’s easier said than done. We all want progression, but when we hit a good thing, it’s easy just to let years and creative opportunities slip by in a comfy cycle of rinse and repeat. Progression requires a selfassuredness that can be daunting, but for fecund creativity it’s mandatory.

“We’re quite creatively restless,” says Foals frontman Yannis Philippakis, in considering the group’s sonic progression. “We don’t want to repeat ourselves and we don’t feel that we have fixed co-ordinates for what the band should be, so every time we approach writing there’s no map - whatever comes out at the time comes out, [so] there’s definitely a desire to progress, but at the same time, it’s organic, it’s been what naturally happens. Each time we write a record, there has been a different appetite, which is why we end up in a different place than we started.”

Oxford quintet Foals have shunned sameness, continually pushing in new directions ever since their angular indie-dance Antidotes debut in 2008. Its followup Total Life Together (2010) was beautifully tangled with conflicting emotions, before 2013’s Mercury nominated Holy Fire, where grunge-driven guitars coexisted with pulsating synths and shimmery twists.

Foals recorded their latest album in Saint Remy de Provence in the south of France. It is a city most noted for being where Vincent van Gogh was hospitalised after mental illness drove him to cut off his ear. Van Gogh was another artist who pushed himself in the pursuit of artistic progress, his distinct style with its thick zealous brushstrokes hinging on the desire to capture

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immediate moments of feeling and being. It was a mood that Philippakis himself was keen to tap into when creating What Went Down. “We wrote the record quickly, because we were more interested in the idea of capturing the first instinct in song and not overworking things. The first explosion of creativity is when the songs and their lyrics are most powerful. In the past, we overworked things and they got diluted or confused and they didn’t benefit from working more on them.” While writing What Went Down the band had some 50 ideas for songs that were gradually whittled down to the final 10 on the album. “We didn’t want anything to muddy [its] vision, and for only the best to make it onto the record.” Foals have worked with a different producer for every record and this time was no different. What Went Down was produced by James Ford, who has worked with the likes of Arctic Monkeys, Haim, and Mumford & Sons. “He was really encouraging and really down to

earth,” remembers Philippakis. “He has no hype, no ego and he wanted us to be prepared to focus on small details and to work things out. He diffused a lot of stress from the situation and pushed the songs to be the best that they could be.” The songs range from atmospheric pop to heavier hitting numbers. They are all bound by their sonic simplicity, a desire that has come with age for Philippakis. “The songs are essentially simple and direct, something which comes from experience. It feels better saying less, and what you are saying is more important, more distilled.” Listening to the final product, Foals has a primal immediacy that was perhaps less apparent on its previous albums. However, the oscillation between contrary passions - both musically and emotionally - will be familiar to long-time listeners of the band, and makes for a well-balanced record that leaves you feeling intrigued as to what they will do next. After speaking to Philippakis, it would seem that anything is possible.

KATE POWELL

CHVRCHES Rather than ensconcing themselves in a flash studio, CHVRCHES chose to return to the same place they recorded the first one - a converted flat in their hometown of Glasgow, which they have dubbed Alucard Studios. “There was an element of superstition [in returning]. There was something in that room that made it onto the record, and we didn’t want to lose that, so we decided that we would go back to exactly the same place and do things in exactly the same way to hopefully get back to the same place.” Although the result sounds like CHVRCHES, Cook says the group “want people to feel a sense of familiarity because it’s from a band they know, but also show that we have developed. We wanted it to sound bigger and stronger, but were really keen to pull out a lot of elements that we didn’t need from before.”

CAN SCOTTISH INDIE PHENOMENON CHVRCHES RECAPTURE THE MAGIC ON THEIR HUGELY ANTICIPATED SECOND ALBUM? GIRL YOU KNOW IT’S TRUE, GROUP MEMBER IAIN COOK TELLS KATE POWELL. IN MAY 2012, unknown Scottish band CHVRCHES posted a song online entitled ‘Lies’, just to see if the faceless masses might show any interest. Three years later Iain Cook, the group’s multi-instrumentalist, is calling me from his hometown of Glasgow in the calm-before-the-storm run-up to the release of CHVRCHES second album. Yep, you guessed it, their first dip into that great democratiser, the fantastic public repository of online assessment, unleashed a fervent fanbase that led to The Bones Of What You Believe in September 2012, an album they wrote, recorded and produced on the cheap, but which went on to garner widespread critical acclaim and sell 500,000 copies. The record featured glittering pop soundscapes that morphed into angular rhythms in one beat, while singer Lauren Mayberry’s pure voice lent itself to the bleakly erudite lyrical content. Reviewers and listeners alike were enchanted by the chiaroscuro of CHVRCHES, who offered a refreshing slant on synth pop.

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“We felt confident that it was good,” says Cook, “but you don’t ever really know how wide the appeal is. We were blown away by the response and thought that we better learn how to play it live, and we’ve been learning to play live ever since.” But after touring for two years and performing 364 shows, an experience that Cook feels “really fortunate and grateful for,” CHVRCHES settled down to bang out their second album, Every Open Eye. Following up a successful debut is daunting for any band and initially, CHVRCHES were no different. “We hadn’t written any songs while we were touring except for two (Hunger Games tracks ‘Dead Air’ and ‘Get Away’) because it was difficult to get the three of us in the same room with the right set up, with no distractions. So we were wondering if we could still do it, if we still had a good creative energy. Then people start asking you in interviews if you feel any pressure, and you really have to tune that stuff out, otherwise you start thinking yourself into a corner, and that’s never a good thing creatively.” This level-headed approach held the band in good stead, and led to the happy discovery that the unit had developed and progressed. Apart from that, happily, “Things were exactly as they were when we first started the band and finished the first album.”

While recording the first album, the band were layering three different synth sounds on top of each other in order to create a big sound, but Cook observes that “experience taught us that’s not how you make things sound big. It’s about getting one sound and making sure it’s the best it can be. It gives the album more space but still feels expansive. There are fewer elements on Open Every Eye, it’s more stripped back, but hopefully the result is less but more. It’s simple but still complex.” This simplified complexity is juxtaposed against Mayberry’s lyrics, which can be both defiantly aggressive and vulnerably soft. Cook feels that this adds to the overall feeling of strength within Every Open Eye. “She’s a lot more assertive and a lot more aware of herself both as a woman and as a public figure, and that’s reflected in the lyrics.” As a band, their main focus is on “classic song writing. Our focus isn’t to make songs of the moment, because that often leads to things sounding dated really quickly or really easily pigeonholed, and we don’t want that.” They created their debut as relative unknowns, but are now acutely aware that “the eyes of the world are on us.” They shouldn’t worry: Every Open Eye is a cracker, and the ears of the world will only be hearing good things when they listen in.

ALBUM REVIEWS DELANEY DAVIDSON LUCKY GUY (SOUTHBOUND)

It’s hard not to feel a little sorry for Delaney Davidson who, despite a mantelpiece full of songwriting awards, is known mostly to the general public through his association with Marlon Williams on the Sad But True collaborative series. And while Williams’ recent album has turned him into the golden boy wherever he lands, Davidson, one suspects, will have a tough job getting mainstream attention with Lucky Guy (is the title a wish-fulfillment scenario?). Determinedly ploughing its own furrow, the sound is

big and gnarly and the songs sung with the kind of grit we might expect from some American ‘outlaw’ country-rock legend. It’s confronting and unprettified, and purposefully captures the intensity of Davidson’s cow-punk convictions on a set of songs that often resound like they were forged in a Bayou swamp somewhere near the dawn of the creation of the rock’n’roll pulse. Rough-hewn but banged out like they were second nature, his songs and sound are both assertive and succinct. And he gets an extra half-star for rhyming ‘vagina’ with ‘behind ya’. GARY STEEL

ALBERT HAMMOND JNR

BAKERS EDDY

BRUCE PAINE

GIRL BAND

PLASTIC WASTELAND EP

TONEWOOD AND BEAR CLAW

HOLDING HANDS WITH JAMIE

MOMENTARY MASTERS

(INDEPENDENT)

(ROUGH TRADE)

(VAGRANT)

Albert Hammond Jnr’s third studio album, Momentary Masters, takes its name from Carl Sagan’s space-obsessed book Pale Blue Dot, and is created by a man who has been given a second chance at life after he sobered up, got hitched and moved to upstate New York. The 10-song, 36-minute album that has come out of his experiences is wonderfully cohesive. It expertly strikes a balance between the ideas that inspired it and a newfound confidence that is great to see. Many of the songs feature the signature hooky charm that Hammond Jnr showcases in The Strokes - particularly ‘Born Slippy’ and ‘Losing Touch’ – and that’s no bad thing. Hammond Jnr sounds older and wiser but has maintained a charming sense of fun about the world. Which makes it worth a spin, or two.

Young Wellington rock quartet Bakers Eddy, out of Onslow College, won last year’s Wellington Youth Battle of the Bands, and this three-track EP gives the general public a taste of their punked-up hard rock flavour, which is reminiscent of early Shihad. The title tune features a big bad bass line, soaring guitars and pitch-perfect harmonies, while ‘Something Outside’ is fast paced and closest to the sound of that aforementioned Melbournebased, Capital-birthed behemoth. Best of the three tracks is ‘Hyper Excessive Consumption’, a good old-fashioned hard rock song that pulls you in for repeat listens. With any luck, Bakers Eddy will secure funding for a full-length album soon, and with a bit more luck they’ll make the brave decision to jettison some of the spit and polish in favour of a bit of a bit more of the raw with the roar.

Let’s get two things straight: Girl Band is in fact four boys from Ireland, and they are noise personified. Holding Hands With Jamie is their debut album, coming after their 2014 Early Years EP and a ruthless touring schedule which has seen them drum up a reputation for live shows that hum with a visceral energy. Their album captures this mood effortlessly, while guitarist Alan Duggan wields almost unnatural sounds from his guitar, and vocalist Dara Kiely adds to the cacophony with his yelled lyrics. It’s a record that’s difficult to categorise stylistically, and although slapping on a ‘grunge’ or ‘punk’ label would prove convenient, that would downplay all the other influences at work to create the apocalyptic sound that Girl Band has become synonymous with. A fantastic debut.

KATE POWELL

MARK KENDRICK

Tonewood And Bear Claw is a new album from internationally renowned guitarist/composer Bruce Paine. Recorded at St Michael’s Church in the Auckland suburb of Remuera. Bear Claw is a term describing a ‘ripple effect’ in the grain of the tonewood (timber) from which these guitars were crafted, which is thought to give the guitar a particular tonal quality. The church acoustics add vitality to the sound of the guitars, and the result is a sweet, simple and melodic album of unique interpretations of 19th Century guitar music. In such songs as ‘Marieta – Marzurka’, the Spanish pulse is drawn out by the gentle caress of Paine’s masterful hands, and these same hands lovingly capture the playfulness and soul of the works of Spanish composer, Fernando Sor. Listening to a classical guitar being played by a master of the instrument is a revelation.

KATE POWELL

LISA DIEDRICKS

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ALBUM REVIEWS FOALS WHAT WENT DOWN (WARNER)

What Went Down should be re-titled What A Let Down. The title track, which opens their fourth album, promises much with its passionate, dramatic, whirlingdervish build to near hysteria, perfectly encapsulating the kind of transcendent trance-rock Echo & The Bunnymen achieved on 1981’s peerless Heaven Up Here, along with a bit of the fractious, discordant drama of Nick Cave’s The Birthday Party. But sadly, it’s all down-hill from there. In fact, prime chunks of this hugely anticipated album chug along on a

GARY STEEL

KEVIN FIELD

KURT VILE

MAALA

MAHONEY HARRIS

THE A-LIST

B’LIEVE I’M GOING DOWN

THE EP

WE DIDN’T FEEL ALONE

(WARNER)

(MATADOR)

(SONY)

(INDEPENDENT)

Kevin Field’s name features prominently on New Zealand music’s A-List, with three seriously good studio albums under his belt. His legacy also carries through to his students at The University of Auckland’s Jazz School. Field’s new offering is a vibrant collaboration featuring some of the most indemand jazz musicians locally and internationally. Much like 2012’s Field Of Vision, it’s a

Kurt Vile has slowly been assimilating the slacker-king title vacated by the aging Dinosaur Jr and Beck, made evident in the catchy airhead tune ‘Pretty Pimpin’. The song opens an album chock full of satisfying, often whimsical tunes, based around repetitive riffs and some handy guitar picking. There’s some cowboy banjos (‘I’m An Outlaw’), a dust-bowl Woodie Guthrie narrative (‘Valley Of

diverse party of musical styles and influences that somehow manages to connect as a cohesive listening experience. Each of the compositions takes on a fresh personality under the cool, understated and elegant guise that overarches the album. The Clo Chaperon-featured, disco-infused shuffle track ‘Perfect Disco’ is a pretty special moment, as is the humorously-titled ‘Shatneresque’. The A-List isn’t just a coming together in the name of ‘good jazz’, but a precious new statement made by one of this country’s jazz greats.

Ashes’), touches of Townes Van Zandt (‘Dust Bunnies’), and nods to Thurston Moore’s No Wave (‘Bad Omens’). It all floats, blissfully, weightlessly across the ears, and begs repeat spins. Kim Gordon says it well: “It’s a weird, accepting, mature record, acknowledging the inherent immaturity of being a person whether father, husband, partner, adult, musician, not perfect, but compelling for its understanding… that’s life though so sad to say… I love this record.”

Maala’s sound was recently introduced to the world by expat Kiwi DJ Zane Lowe on his Apple Beats show. Since then, it’s been all go as Maala - still apparently working on the factory floor and his label prepare this highly anticipated debut EP. Produced by Josh Fountain and from the same recording studio as Broods and Lorde, Maala’s debut bears all the hallmarks of the studio’s designer Joel Little, and is uncannily similar to Little’s most recent triumph, Australian Daniel Johns’ (of Silverchair) debut solo album, Talk. Think smooth blue-eyed soul with groovy down tempo beats, polished production and crafted tunes, and you’ll find yourself on the right track. Maala has a winner on his hands, and if he can deliver a full album of the same quality, this NZ lad could go all the way.

We Didn’t Feel Alone is the debut album from Waiheke Islandbased singer/songwriter Mahoney Harris, and has been out and about for about a year. It only recently came to my attention and late though my review is, the timing is irrelevant. This is not an album that will date, filled as it is with timeless and deeply introspective songs about life, love and relationships. The first thing that sprung to mind was Sandy Denny-era Fairport Convention: finely crafted pop songs with folk music sensibilities. Mahoney’s warm and versatile voice, not dissimilar to Denny’s, is supported by a band - a veritable who’s who of Auckland session musicians - who provide the right amount of colour without overwhelming the haunting and fragile nature of Mahoney’s music. This is an album of rare beauty, emotionally affecting and a credit to Mahoney’s obvious and considerable talent.

ANNA LOVEYS

pallid mid-to-late ‘80s white-boy clipped funk groove that’s only a stone’s throw from one of those forgettable ‘80s English bands that no one quite remembers (Deacon Blue, anyone?) It’s a darn shame, because on ‘Snake Oil’ they once again display a sense of genuine drama and dread. Mostly however, What Went Down sounds like a bunch of guys who have grown up listening exclusively to wispy, synth-laden, compromised mid-‘80s indie pop, who have then attempted to forge their own version, but don’t quite have the skills to carry it off. In other words, it’s a mess.

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TIM GRUAR

ANDREW JOHNSTONE

ALBUM REVIEWS BEAU MONGA SELF-TITLED (SONY)

Just about every six-year-old and middleaged Lorraine and Morag knew what was going down on the latest season of New Zealand X-Factor. The scandal, the drama and the awkward Ricky Martin lip-syncing tragedy were hot topics on the school dropoff runs. The season concluded with Beau Monga taking the crown and releasing a single to radio (‘King And Queen’) and a debut full-length album as an introduction. Altogether, the album – a selection of cover songs from his time on the show has its merits, like the pleasant cover of ‘No Diggity’, which features some sweet

bass provided by Monga’s father, Ryan Monga, the Ardijah legend. There are some, um… ‘interesting’ moments hidden in the mix. I don’t think for instance, that I’ve ever seen a song switch from laidback doo-wop steeze to dubstep pandemonium in the space of three minutes and end well (‘Goody Goody’). Aside from that, the album is a glimpse into his personal style and vision, and hopefully a platform from which he can launch a career, post-show. It will be interesting to hear more of his original, self-written material. If you want to relive Beau’s X-Factor moments, this is for you. ANNA LOVEYS

QUANTIC PRESENTS THE WESTERN TRANSIENT

ROBYN & LA BAGATELL MAGIQUE

ROGER WATERS

EB & SPARROW

AMUSED TO DEATH

SUN/SON

LOVE IS FREE

(COLUMBIA)

(DEADBEAT)

A NEW CONSTELLATION

(MAGINQUE KONICHIWA)

(TRU THOUGHTS)

Electronic music producer Will ‘Quantic’ Holland has his hands in so many pies these days – producing, composing and remodeling music all over the show - that it’s a wonder he can taste any gravy. His last gig, Magnetica, was a move from the studio towards the real thing, kicking with a truckload of genuine Latin musicians and the passport stamps from South America to prove it. This time, the adventures have produced a set of new jazz compositions that tip the cap to the rich, intimate qualities of the recordings of the golden era. ‘Latitude’ kicks off the manifesto with a cruisey stance, and coupled with ‘Jumble Scale’, the title track and ‘Requiescene’, there’s a definite trend toward cocktail tunes and background fillers that would slip nicely into Mad Men. Trouble is, without a vocalist none of these tunes fire.

Love Is Free is a new mini-album from Swedish singer Robyn and her collaborative project La Bagatelle Magique. On the album’s themes, Robyn stated in a recent interview: “It’s about learning to be okay with being alive even though living can be really hard. I mean, you can be scared, but it’s not good if you’re scared of being scared, and trying to control things. It’s an illusion – you can’t. You have to let go in order to be happy.” La Bagatelle Magique aren’t trying to change musical history here – it’s all familiar epic dancefloor therapy filled with trance-like basslines, hooky dance beats and effortless melodies that make you want to leap about with sheer abandon. Pehaps the weakest element is Robyn’s vocals, which sound like they have had the life tweaked out of them. Regardless, this is emotionally honest dance music that will appeal to those who like their EDM artistic.

Amused To Death was released in 1992 when grunge was on the ascendancy and music stylists like Waters were seen as irrelevant dinosaurs. Because of fashion, the album received poor reviews, and quickly disappeared from view. Twenty years later, remixed and remastered, Amused To Death, with its exploration of war, corruption and misuse of power, sounds more relevant today than it was when it was first released. Guest stars on the album include Jeff Beck, Don Henley, Steve Lukather (From Toto) and Randy Jackson, and the tracks have been cleaned up and enriched for hi-fi nerds, who may want to check out the 5.1 surround sound mix, or the SACD (hi-res) versions. Nuanced and multi-layered, this is dark and powerful theatre and one of Roger Waters’ best albums.

Continuing their journey into the depths of Americana, Wellington outfit Eb and Sparrow continue with Sun/Son - a reference to the many men in Singer Ebony Lamb’s life - father, bandmates, lovers - and to enlightenment, to coming out of the darkness. It’s a solid collection of alt-country: holidays in the Rhododendron Capital (‘Kimbolton’), tumbleweed loneliness (‘I Want You’), challenges to masculinity (‘Coward Son’), meandering contemplations (‘A Mighty Wind’) and the occasional deep-dive wig-out (‘Mother Mary’). The striking, upbeat cover by Grimoire is a bright juxtaposition to Lamb’s brooding vocals and her band’s understated, often achingly soulful playing, authenticated by a vintage Selmer amplifier which slightly distorts these finely crafted tunes, making an album that sits well on the turntable and even better amongst the straw on a bar room floor.

TIM GRUAR

LISA DIEDRICKS

MARK KENDRICK

TIM GRUAR

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GARY STEEL

LED ZEPPELIN

so big so fast that they virtually created the need for the arena gigs that have gone on to blight the creativity of successive generations of bands ever since. In other words, the enormity of their success corrupted them, and by the mid-‘70s they were remote icons whose genius had been subverted by their famously unhealthy lifestyles.

IN THROUGH THE OUT DOOR (WARNER)

LED ZEPPELIN CODA (WARNER)

FEW WOULD DENY Led Zeppelin’s revolutionary impact on hard rock, a nascent art form in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s. While the group can legitimately shoulder the blame for having unleashed the preening cock-rock stereotype that typified just about every band to follow in their footsteps, Zep still seldom gets the credence they deserve for having shaped the architecture of blues into a whole new form which fused European classical grandiosity with old-world folk and world music, all the while harnessing the latest production technology. In short, Led Zeppelin was responsible for rewriting the rock blueprint, and their first three albums still sound as fresh as the day they were minted. Sadly however, Zep were also one of the first rock groups to get

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By the time of 1975’s Physical Graffiti, the group had landed at the same place as the Rolling Stones: emptied of genuine inspiration, bloated by excess, but determined to sail along on whatever threads of excellence were left. It would be all downhill from there. In Through The Out Door is an ironic name for a record that sounds like the group had started to think of an escape plan, but not had the combined good sense to carry it through to completion. Their final album, released in ’79, is still a desultory, exasperating, sometimes plain embarrassing and somewhat depressing listen. Okay, so could they have ever hoped to recover from the crippling ubiquity of ‘Stairway To Heaven’? Possibly not, but clearly they were too jaded and stoned to care too much. Had the group evolved in a more normal way, then they may have remained creatively alert, engaged. It’s as though most of what’s great about them is actively ignored all through In Through The Out Door, a record that finds Jimmy Page hooked on junk and largely out to lunch, leaving Plant to collaborate with bassist/ keyboardist John Paul Jones. Right from the start things go wrong. ‘In The Evening’ finds Bonham’s natural groove replaced by a rudimentary

plod, and the thing is further undermined by Jones’ horrible keyboard sound, which destroys the group’s natural contours. And Plant’s voice! It’s lost all vestiges of that epochal frenetic wail, replaced by the sound of an old man gargling chip fat. And his lyrics! It’s clear that he needs her love, but in just a little less than seven minutes, fails to make us give a toss about it. None of it’s good, and some of it’s cringe-worthy. Take ‘South Bound Saurez’ with its weak rockabilly nostalgia and one of Page’s most inane solos, or ‘Hot Dog’, another rock and roll novelty song that shows a band flailing, if not drowning. Then there’s ‘Fool In The Rain’ which is even worse, because it sounds like they’re desperately trying to adjust to the bright, plastic world of power pop. Except that its happy little riff just sounds wrong, and the Latin party mode at its centre is about as wrongfooted as they ever got. I know there are those whose panties get a little wet when they hear Plant whining away on ‘All My Love’, an atypical ballad, but even that doesn’t stack up as a good song. Memorable because of the repetition of its chorus, they forgot to give it an even half-decent chorus. Then there’s all 10 minutes and 34 seconds of ‘Carouselambra’, an epic that tries to achieve takeoff, but remains resolutely grounded. One thing about the latest crop of Led Zep reissues: the bonus tracks, while nice for completists, mostly add diddly-squat to the albums they’re attached to. Here, the differences in the versions are so minimal that I wondered quite what the point was. What is great about the reissues though, is that for the first time since the original vinyl issues, they sound good. I’m not talking audiophile grade good, because Zeppelin

derived its power and dynamics through a deft combination of keeping everything on LOUD and compression to make certain elements really zing, which means their records still ultimately sound best on an average music player. But hell’s bells, these new versions sound clear and deep. While the In Through The Out Door was the actual last Led Zeppelin album, Coda is an odds and sods collection released two years after Bonham’s alcoholfueled death, in 1982. It seemed so unnecessary at the time, and I can’t remember paying it any attention. But here’s the surprise: with a bunch of seldom heard extras added to the package, it’s a pretty stimulating and insightful trawl through the back pages of the group’s entire lifespan. Those who appreciate Bonham’s incredible drum swagger, which actually made the group funky rather than just hard, will likely get off on ‘Bonzo’s Montreaux’, essentially a chance to hear not just a drum solo but the way his kit sounded in a room, without the sonic clash of other instrumentation. Then there are the tracks Page and Plant recorded as the Bombay Orchestra, which show just how far the group was searching in the early ‘70s in its quest to find a unique fusion of styles. Yes, there are dull and misguided moments, and its nature rules it out as a cohesive album, but time and those extra tracks have elevated Coda to make it one of the more interesting Zep releases.

THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO SHIT WORTH DOING IN NEW ZEALAND

p06

RELEASES NZMOVIE MUSIC MONTH

p12

GUIDE BESTGIG HOT CHIPS

SEPTEMBER 2015

p12

EATING & DRINKING

SEPTEMBER GIG GUIDE

FRI 04 SEP

THU 03 SEP

THE OTHERS WAY FESTIVAL MULTIPLE

SJD

AUCKLAND

PARAMOUNT THEATRE

7PM, $44.50, FLYINGOUT.CO.NZ

WELLINGTON

K Road comes alive with the all-new Others Way Festival, curated by the good people at

8PM, $47.50, UTR.CO.NZ

SJD’s critically acclaimed LP Saint John Divine is one of this year’s best releases, and now it deservedly gets the played-in-full treatment, complete with string quartet. Full of warmth and character, with hymn-like songs of angelic quality, SJD is as good as it gets. To top that off, Shayne Carter joins him for two special dates.

Flying Out and bFM. Featuring an astounding 27 local artists (like Silicon, The Bats, Heavy, and a reformed Garageland) across six venues (including The Studio, Galatos, and Whammy) this will be one for the history books.

WED 16 SEP

SLEEPING WITH SIRENS POWERSTATION AUCKLAND 7PM, $59.90, TICKETMASTER.CO.NZ

MON 07 SEP

TIFT MERRITT TUNING FORK AUCKLAND 7PM, $45, TICKETMASTER.CO.NZ

Grammy-nominated Tift Merritt, once described by Emmylou Harris as a “diamond in the coal patch”, will put on a rollicking

American outfit Sleeping With Sirens are set for their first-ever show in New Zealand. Latest album Mirrors is bound to launch these guys to superstardom, as it’s doing some big numbers in Australia, and if the Aussies like it, then sure, we’ll give it a crack too. Dude’s got a super high voice, which is pretty cool.

show at the Tuning Fork. Her tune ‘Bramble Rose’ has been covered by Don Henley and Mick Jagger, and latest album Travelling Alone is an extraordinary collection of country songs. Achingly beautiful stuff.

TUE 08 SEP

THU 17 SEP

TONI BRAXTON

IMAGINE DRAGONS

LOGAN CAMPBELL CENTRE

VECTOR ARENA

AUCKLAND

7PM, $89, EVENTFINDA.CO.NZ

8PM, $95, TICKETMASTER.CO.NZ

Stock up on your incense and get your inner self prepared for the Toni Braxton extravaganza. The songstress who brought you ‘Unbreak my Heart’ will put on a cracker of a soul show, and with 66 million records sold, Braxton is still a big deal. Even more surprisingly, this is her first NZ concert. Think I’ll shout Mum.

RIPITUP.CO.NZ

MON 07 SEP

A PLACE TO BURY STRANGERS KINGS ARMS AUCKLAND 8PM, $49.50, UTR.CO.NZ

Returning after a blistering set at the 2013 Laneway Festival, the APTBS boys are back, touring behind latest scorcher

Transfixation. Including former D4 member Dion Lunadon on bass, these guys are about swirling distortion and sharp shards of glorious psychedelic rock. If you can’t make it, Radio NZ’s Music 101 show will be recording the show.

Hailing from Las Vegas, Imagine Dragons have taken the world by storm. Their music’s not-quite rock, not-quite pop, but it’s full of that radio-ready sheen that seems tailor-made for Vodafone ad campaigns, so it’s something. Album Night Visions brought us ‘Radioactive’, and now we have the impressionable ‘Shots’ from latest album Smoke + Mirrors.

FRI 25 SEP FRI 18 SEP

FRI 18 SEP

DEVILSKIN ALTITUDE HAMILTON 8PM, $47.50, EVENTFINDA.CO.NZ

Comin’ atcha like a circumcision from hell, Devilskin announce the Mountains And The Moon tour. Unveiling a steaming batch of new songs, the ‘Skin have recently spent some time honing their craft overseas, making things heavier, maybe stocking up on red beard dye. Villainy, whose new song is called ‘Alligator Skin’, support. Skin.

SAT 26 SEP

ODESZA

THE PHOENIX FOUNDATION

STUDIO AUCKLAND

ANNA CODDINGTON & LIPS

SAN FRAN

8PM, $60, DASHTICKETS.CO.NZ

THE TUNING FORK

WELLINGTON

The much-hyped duo of Odesza are bangin’ their bangers all the way to Auckland and Welly for a banger of a banger. With sunsoaked melodies, glitchy vox and drop-da-bass bass lines, these guys have been steadily gathering an army of pinged-out loyal fans around the globe. Latest LP In Return is a constant on Spotify.

AUCKLAND

8PM, $35, UTR.CO.NZ

No, it’s not the Conservative Party’s new slogan – it’s the name of The Phoenix Foundation’s latest album, Give Up Your Dreams. A continuation of the psychedelic, shimmering vibes of the Tom’s Lunch EP, the selfproduced GUYD is a challenging yet rewarding slice of crafty Kiwi pop greatness. Their hypnotic live shows are a true treat.

8PM, $21, TICKETMASTER.CO.NZ

Anna Coddington aka Cods and the NYC duo Lips are taking the stage as a three-piece for the first time ever. Cherry-picking gems from both of their back catalogues, as well as some quality new stuff, anything could happen – there’s instrument swapping, looping, and good banter on stage. One hundred percent live. One hundred percent awesome.

FRI 02 OCT

FRI 25 SEP SAT 19 SEP

SAT 26 SEP

WIZ KHALIFA

PRAGUEMATIQUE

VECTOR ARENA

ANIKA MOA

THE VIC

SEBASTIAN BACH

AUCKLAND

SAN FRAN

AUCKLAND

STUDIO

8PM, $84.90, TICKETMASTER.CO.NZ

WELLINGTON

8PM, $20, THEVIC.CO.NZ

AUCKLAND

For one night only, hip hop superstar and casual toker Wiz Khalifa headlines at Vector Arena. With a massive number one in his pocket with the soppy bollocks of ‘See You Again’ (sorry, Wiz – Puffy did it already), Khalifa is a mainstream powerhouse now. Having previously ruled at Rhythm And Vines, this will be a party, no doubt.

8:30PM, $30, EVENTFINDA.CO.NZ

Praguematique play an eclectic mix of genres and style - ska, funk, jazz, Latin or gypsy swing. It’s all there. Formed on the streets of Prague in 2012, this bodacious busking ensemble is heading out on a 30-day tour of NZ, including headlining the Tauranga Arts Festival in October. Immensely talented and insanely fresh, boogie along to Praguematique.

8PM, $85, TICKETMASTER.CO.NZ

Voice of Skid Row and the prettiest man in hair metal, Sebastian Bach returns to sing a selection of hits. Remember the young boy with a heart of stone who blew a kid away with a six-shot in the wind? Well, Ricky from ’18 and Life’ is definitely out on parole now. There’s hope for everyone.

The very talented, beautiful and hilarious Anika Moa heads off on tour with the extra talented Jol Mulholland as her only band member. Traversing most of the country, Anika is touring behind her latest, critically acclaimed album Queen At The Table, and puts on an intimate show indeed. Special support from another overtly talented bastard, SJD.

RIPITUP.CO.NZ

SEPTEMBER GIG GUIDE ANIKA MOA

NAPIER

PAEKAKARIKI

TE AWAMUTU

FRI 04 SEP

FRI 25 SEP

TUE 29 SEP

SAT 19 SEP

BUTTER FACTORY

NIVARA LOUNGE

LE CAFE

WINE CELLAR

WHANGAREI

HAMILTON

PICTON

AUCKLAND

THU 10 SEP

SAT 26 SEP

WED 30 SEP

SUN 20 SEP

SHERWOOD

THE TUNING FORK

CHANEL ARTS CENTRE

LEIGH SAWMILL

QUEENSTOWN

AUCKLAND

MOTUEKA

LEIGH

DEVILSKIN

FREIDA MARGOLIS

TIMARU

A PLACE TO BURY STRANGERS (US)

FRI 18 SEP

AUCKLAND

SAT 12 SEP

MON 07 SEP

ALTITUDE

CHICKS HOTEL

KINGS ARMS

HAMILTON

DUNEDIN

AUCKLAND

SAT 19 SEP

FOR THE BENEFIT OF MR B

FRI 11 SEP THE PONDEROSA

MON 21 SEP

SUN 13 SEP

THE POWERSTATION

FRI 19 SEP

AUCKLAND

POWERSTATION

OAMARU

BIG DADDY WILSON (US)

WED 23 SEP

AUCKLAND

THU 17 SEP

THU 10 SEP

SAMMY’S,

MUSSEL INN

BUTTER FACTORY

HAMILTON

GLASS VAULTS

TAKAKA

WHANGAREI

THU 24 SEP

SAT 12 SEP

FRI 18 SEP

FRI 11 SEP

CAROLINE BAY HALL

SLOW BOAT RECORDS

ALLAN SCOTT WINERY

OPONONI HOTEL

TIMARU

WELLINGTON

BLENHEIM

HOKIANGA

FRI 25 SEP

FRI 18 SEP

SAT 19 SEP

SAT 12 SEP

THE BEDFORD

SPACE MONSTER

WUNDERBAR

LEIGH SAWMILL

CHRISTCHURCH

WHANGANUI

LYTTELTON

LEIGH

SAT 26 SEP

SAT 19 SEP

THU 24 SEP

SUN 13 SEP

RATTLE N HUM

SAN FRAN

KING ST LIVE

THE RIVERHEAD

NELSON

WELLINGTON

MASTERTON

AUCKLAND

FRI 25 SEP

WED 16 SEP

DON MCGLASHAN

SAVAGE CLUB

THE BILLIARD ROOM

FRI 18 SEP

IMAGINE DRAGONS (US)

WHANGANUI

NEW PLYMOUTH

THE BUTTER FACTORY

TUE 08 SEP

SAT 26 SEP

THU 17 SEP

WHANGAREI

VECTOR ARENA

SAN FRAN

4TH WALL THEATRE

SAT 19 SEP

AUCKLAND

WELLINGTON

NEW PLYMOUTH

SAWMILL CAFÉ

THU 10 SEP

FRI 18 SEP

LEIGH

HORNCASTLE ARENA

ANNA CODDINGTON & LIPS

PRINCES’S GATE HOTEL

THU 24 SEP

CHRISTCHURCH

ROTORUA

DOME CINEMA

THU 10 SEP

SAT 19 SEP

GISBORNE

JULES SHELDON (AU)

MEOW

OMOKOROA BOAT CLUB

FRI 25 SEP

WED SEP 09

WELLINGTON

TAURANGA

DE LUXE THEATRE

MOON BAR

FRI 11 SEP

SUN 20 SEP

OPOTIKI

WELLINGTON

THE BOATHOUSE

THE DOME ROOM

SAT 26 SEP

FRI SEP 11

NELSON

GISBORNE

RAGLAN CLUB

HOP HOUSE

SAT 12 SEP

TUE 22 SEP

RAGLAN

MT MAUNGANUI

THE MUSSEL INN

EAST END CAFE

TAKAKA

WAIROA

EB & SPARROW

LUCHA LOUNGE

THU 17 SEP

WED 23 SEP

SAT 05 SEP

AUCKLAND

WUNDERBAR

NIVARA LOUNGE

SAN FRAN

CHRISTCHURCH

HAMILTON

WELLINGTON

ODESZA (US)

FRI 18 SEP

THU 24 SEP

SAT 12 SEP

THU 24 SEP

UPSTAIRS CUCINA

RIVERSIDE BAR

COMMON ROOM

SAN FRAN

OAMARU

WANGANUI

HASTINGS

WELLINGTON

SAT 19 SEP

FRI 25 SEP

SUN 13 SEP

FRI 25 SEP

TASTE MERCHANTS

KING STREET LIVE

TIN HUT

ST JAMES THEATRE

DUNEDIN

MASTERTON

WAIRARAPA

AUCKLAND

SUN 20 SEP

SAT 26 SEP

THU 17 SEP

GIN & RASPBERRY

MEOW

THE ART GALLERY

THE PHOENIX FOUNDATION

WANAKA

WELLINGTON

TAURANGA

FRI 18 SEP

THU 24 SEP

SUN 27 SEP

FRI 18 SEP

SAN FRAN

CABANA

ST PETER’S HALL

WALTON STREET

WELLINGTON

GRAINSTORE GALLERY

RIPITUP.CO.NZ

SAT SEP 12

SEPTEMBER GIG GUIDE SAT 19 SEP

TONI BRAXTON (US)

ANIKA MOA

BONEY M (DE)

CABANA

THU 17 SEP

THU 01 OCT

FRI 30 OCT

NAPIER

LOGAN CAMPBELL CENTRE

OSPA

ASB THEATRE

THU 24 SEP

AUCKLAND

ONEWHERO

AUCKLAND

FRI 02 OCT

ALLEN ST ROCK CLUB

EGGSENTRIC CAFÉ

BOYZ II MEN (US)

FRI 25 SEP

FRI 18 SEP

COROMANDEL

SAT 17 OCT

SAMMY’S

STUDIO

SAT 03 OCT

ASB THEATRE

DUNEDIN

AUCKLAND

GRAVITY BAR

AUCKLAND

HAMILTON

SUN 18 OCT

CHRISTCHURCH

TUXEDO (US)

SAT 26 SEP THE SHERWOOD

WIZ KHALIFA (US)

SUN 04 OCT

ST JAMES THEATRE

QUEENSTOWN

FRI 25 SEP

BUTLERS REEF

WELLINGTON

VECTOR ARENA

OAKURA

SEBASTIAN BACH (CA)

CHRIS CORNELL (US)

AUCKLAND

FRI 18 SEP

FUTURE GIGS

THE BEDFORD CHRISTCHURCH

AVALANCHE CITY & BENNY TIPENE

FRI 20 NOV

FRI 02 OCT

CHRISTCHURCH

CARDBOARD CATHEDRAL

MON 23 NOV

ISAAC THEATRE ROYAL

SAT 19 SEP

10CC (UK)

CHRISTCHURCH

MICHAEL FOWLER CENTRE

STUDIO

TUE 10 NOV

SAT 03 OCT

WELLINGTON

AUCKLAND

ASB THEATRE

THE GLENROY AUDITORIUM

THU 26 NOV

AUCKLAND

DUNEDIN

ASB THEATRE

SJD

WED 11 NOV

FRI 16 OCT

AUCKLAND

THU 03 SEP

TSB SHOWPLACE

TOWN HALL

PARAMOUNT THEATRE

NEW PLYMOUTH

AUCKLAND

WELLINGTON

THU 12 NOV

SAT 17 OCT

REGENT ON BROADWAY

OPERA HOUSE

THE BRIAN JONESTOWN MASSACRE

SLEEPING WITH SIRENS

PALMERSTON NORTH

WELLINGTON

FRI 06 NOV

WED 16 SEP

ST JAMES THEATRE

POWERSTATION AUCKLAND

FRI 13 NOV

ALLEN ST ROCK CLUB CHRISTCHURCH

WELLINGTON

THE BEACH BOYS (US)

SAT 14 NOV

TUE 24 NOV

SAMMY’S

MUNICIPAL THEATRE

ASB ARENA

DUNEDIN

STRANGELY AROUSING WITH BRENDON THOMAS AND THE VIBES

NAPIER

TAURANGA

SUN 08 NOV

MON 16 NOV

SAT 07 NOV

BODEGA

ASB ARENA,

BICEP

WELLINGTON

TAURANGA

THU 19 NOV

TUE 10 NOV

THU 24 SEP

TUE 17 NOV

MATTERHORN

POWERSTATION

OLD STONE BUTTER FACTORY

FOUNDERS THEATRE

WELLINGTON

AUCKLAND

WHANGAREI

HAMILTON

FRI 20 NOV

KINGS ARMS

THE 1975 (UK)

AUCKLAND

FRI 15 JAN

FRI 25 SEP

NECK OF THE WOODS

TOWN HALL

STREET CHANT

AUCKLAND

FRI 04 SEP

THE CHURCH TOUR 2015 THU 01 OCT

BIG DADDY WILSON (US)

ST JOHN’S CATHEDRAL

01 OCT

FRI 02 OCT

NAPIER

THE OTHERS WAY FESTIVAL

AC/DC (AU)

THE PLAYHOUSE CADE

HOLY TRINITY CHURCH

AUCKLAND

SAT 12 DEC

MAPUA

TAURANGA

WESTPAC STADIUM

02 OCT

SAT 03 OCT

TAMI NEILSON

WELLINGTON

THE BOATHOUSE

HOLY TRINITY CATHEDRAL

FRI 25 SEP

TUE 15 DEC

NELSON

AUCKLAND

TUNING FORK

WESTERN SPRINGS STADIUM

AUCKLAND

SUN 04 OCT 03 OCT

ST MARY’S @ HOLY TRINITY CATHEDRAL,

THE WUNDERBAR

AUCKLAND

TIFT MERRITT (US)

ADAM LAMBERT (US)

LYTTELTON

MON 05 OCT

MON 07 SEP

FRI 22 JAN

04 OCT

OLD ST PAUL’S CHURCH

TUNING FORK

TOWN HALL

DUX LIVE

WELLINGTON

AUCKLAND

CHRISTCHURCH

TUE 06 OCT OLD ST PAUL’S CHURCH WELLINGTON

RIPITUP.CO.NZ

UPCOMING GIGS THE CHURCH TOUR 2015 (CONT...)

SAT 10 OCT

ED SHEERAN (UK)

FRI 09 OCT

THE MAYFAIR

SAT 12 DEC

SAN FRAN

THU 08 OCT

NEW PLYMOUTH

MT SMART STADIUM

WELLINGTON

AUCKLAND

SAT 10 OCT

ST MICHAEL & ALL ANGELS CHURCH CHRISTCHURCH

DON MCGLASHAN

FRI 09 OCT

FAT FREDDY’S DROP

THE CARDBOARD CATHEDRAL

HILLTOP TAVERN

SAT 24 OCT

CHRISTCHURCH

AKAROA

TOWN HALL

JAMES BAY (UK)

SAT 10 OCT

AUCKLAND

TUE 09 FEB

KNOX CHURCH

BARRYTOWN HALL

SUN 31 JAN

TOWN HALL

DUNEDIN

BARRYTOWN

CABLE BAY VINEYARD

AUCKLAND

SUN 11 OCT

WAIHEKE ISLAND

MUSSEL INN

FRI 04 DEC

TAKAKA

HORNCASTLE ARENA

THU 15 OCT

FLEETWOOD MAC (UK/US)

CHRISTCHURCH

THE GLOBE THEATRE

WED 18 NOV

TUNING FORK

SUN 06 DEC

PALMERSTON NORTH

FORSYTH BARR STADIUM

AUCKLAND

VILLA MARIA WINERY

FRI 16 OCT

DUNEDIN

AUCKLAND

ST PETERS HALL

SAT 21 NOV

JD MCPHERSON (US)

PAEKAKARIKI

MT SMART STADIUM

SAT 27 FEB

THE CORONAS (IE)

SAT 17 OCT

AUCKLAND

TUNING FORK

MON 30 NOV

KING STREET LIVE

SUN 22 NOV

AUCKLAND

DUX LIVE

MASTERTON

MT SMART STADIUM AUCKLAND

THE KINGS ARMS

THE EASTERN & FRIENDS

AUCKLAND

WED 02 DEC

AUCKLAND

COLD CHISEL (AU)

CHRISTCHURCH

THE STUDIO

JAMESTOWN REVIVAL (US) SUN 18 OCT

JOAN BAEZ (US) THU 15 OCT ISAAC THEATRE ROYAL

SAT 10 OCT

FLORENCE + THE MACHINE (US)

TUNING FORK

SAT 21 NOV

SAT 17 OCT

COURTNEY BARNETT (AU)

AUCKLAND

VECTOR ARENA

MICHAEL FOWLER CENTRE

THU 05 NOV

EB & SPARROW

BODEGA

FRI 02 OCT

GLASS VAULTS

ASB THEATRE

WELLINGTON

MUSICIANS CLUB

THU 01 OCT

AUCKLAND

FRI 06 NOV

WHANGANUI

TASTE MERCHANTS

ST JAMES THEATRE

FRI 16 OCT

DUNEDIN

JOSH GROBAN (US)

AUCKLAND

NELSON ARTS FESTIVAL

FRI 02 OCT

SAT 30 APR

SAT 07 NOV

NELSON

SHERWOOD

VECTOR ARENA

THE FOUNDRY

SAT 17 OCT

QUEENSTOWN

AUCKLAND

CHRISTCHURCH

DHARMA BUMS CLUB

SAT 03 OCT

AUCKLAND

CHRISTCHURCH

WELLINGTON TUE 20 OCT

BLENHEIM

DARKROOM

KISS (US)

DAWES (US)

SUN 18 OCT

CHRISTCHURCH

FRI 16 OCT

THU 22 OCT

BARRYTOWN HALL

FRI 09 OCT

VECTOR ARENA

TUNING FORK

GREYMOUTH

GOLDEN DAWN

AUCKLAND

THU 22 OCT

AUCKLAND

HILLTOP TAVERN

SAT 10 OCT

DEVILSKIN

AKAROA

LEIGH SAWMILL CAFÉ

LAURA MARLING (UK)

THU 01 OCT

FRI 23 OCT

LEIGH

FRI 23 OCT

THE ROYAL

WUNDERBAR,

PALMERSTON NORTH

LYTTELTON

HOZIER (IE)

FRI 02 OCT

SAT 24 OCT

THU 05 NOV

SAN FRAN

CHICKS HOTEL

VECTOR ARENA

LIFEHOUSE (US)

WELLINGTON

DUNEDIN

AUCKLAND

MON 19 OCT

SAT 03 OCT

SUN 25 OCT

TRENTHAM RACECOURSE

LOT 3 CAFÉ

UPPER HUTT

WANAKA

JAKOB & BEASTWARS

THU 08 OCT

SAT 31 OCT

FRI 02 OCT

TOKOROA CLUB

ST PETERS HALL

ALLEN ST ROCK CLUB

TOKOROA

PAEKAKARIKI

CHRISTCHURCH

THE POWERSTATION

TOWN HALL

FRI 09 OCT

SAT 03 OCT

STADIUM LOUNGE BAYPARK

REFUEL

MT MAUNGANUI,

DUNEDIN

RIPITUP.CO.NZ

AUCKLAND

UPCOMING GIGS MADONNA (US)

THE PHOENIX FOUNDATION

SOULFEST 2015

MON 26 OCT

SAT 05 MAR

MON 26 OCT

BAYCOURT ADDISON THEATRE

VECTOR ARENA

FRI 18 SEP

WESTERN SPRINGS STADIUM

TAURANGA

AUCKLAND

SAN FRAN

AUCKLAND

SUN 06 MAR

WELLINGTON

UB40 (UK)

MAROON 5 (US)

NAPIER

STRANGELY AROUSING WITH BRENDON THOMAS AND THE VIBES

THU 01 OCT

THU 24 SEP

FRI 02 OCT

LAKEFRONT RESERVE

HORNCASTLE ARENA

ALLEN ST ROCK CLUB

DIGGERS BAR

ROTORUA

CHRISTCHURCH

HAMILTON

SUN 10 JAN

SAT 03 OCT

FRI 25 SEP

WED 07 OCT

SENTRY HILL WINERY

VECTOR ARENA

SAMMY’S

CABANA

NEW PLYMOUTH

AUCKLAND

DUNEDIN

NAPIER

SAT 16 JAN

SUN 04 OCT

SAT 26 SEP

FRI 09 OCT

WAIPARA HILLS WINERY

VECTOR ARENA

THE SHERWOOD

BODEGA

WAIPARA

AUCKLAND

QUEENSTOWN

WELLINGTON

SUN 17 JAN

THU 01 OCT

SAT 10 OCT

MATUA WINES

THE MISFITS (US)

THE MAYFAIR

BUTLERS REEF

AUCKLAND

THU 03 DEC

NEW PLYMOUTH

TARANAKI

ALLEN ST ROCK CLUB

FRI 02 OCT

FRI 23 OCT

CHRISTCHURCH

POWERSTATION

ROGUE STAGE

UNKNOWN MORTAL ORCHESTRA

FRI 04 DEC

AUCKLAND

ROTORUA

SAT 12TH DEC

BODEGA

SAT 03 OCT

WELLINGTON

MAUAO PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE

AUCKLAND

SAT 05 DEC

TAURANGA

SUMMER CONCERT TOUR

VECTOR ARENA AUCKLAND

SAT 19 SEP CABANA

MUMFORD & SONS (US)

BLACK BARN OFFSITE HAVELOCK NORTH SAT 09 JAN

ST JAMES THEATRE

MON 14TH DEC

SAT 23 JAN

BODEGA

RAE SREMMURD (US)

GIBBSTON VALLEY WINERY

WELLINGTON

THU 01 OCT

QUEENSTOWN

TUE 15TH DEC

STUDIO

SAT 30 JAN

ALLEN ST ROCK CLUB

AUCKLAND

TAUPO AMPHITHEATRE

CHRISTCHURCH

TAUPO

WED 16TH DEC

STUDIO AUCKLAND

FRI 08 JAN

TUE 10 NOV VECTOR ARENA

RISE AGAINST (US)

SUN 31 JAN

CHICKS HOTEL

AUCKLAND

TUE 08 DEC

WHITIANGA WATERWAYS ARENA

DUNEDIN

TOWN HALL

WHITIANGA

THU 17TH DECEM DEC

NAUGHTY BY NATURE (US)

AUCKLAND

SUN 15 NOV

TUE 24 NOV

STUDIO

ROBBIE WILLIAMS (UK)

LOGAN CAMPBELL CENTRE

WAGONS (AU)

AUCKLAND

SAT 31 OCT

AUCKLAND

SAT 17 OCT

BASIN RESERVE

WED 25 NOV

TUNING FORK

NEIL DIAMOND (US)

WELLINGTON

SHED 6

AUCKLAND

MON 19 OCT

TUE 03 NOV

WELLINGTON

VECTOR ARENA

AUCKLAND

THOUSAND FOOT KRUTCH (CA)

FRI 04 DEC

FORSYTH BARR STADIUM

SJD

TUE 20 OCT

AUCKLAND

DUNEDIN

SAT 10 OCT

KINGS ARMS

MERCURY THEATRE

AUCKLAND

CHICKS HOTEL

TAME IMPALA (AU)

SAT 24 OCT

YELAWOLF (US)

OUR:HOUSE FESTIVAL 2015

AUCKLAND

FRI 27 NOV

SIX60

FRI 23 OCT

MT SMART STADIUM

THU 31 DEC

OLD ST PAULSWELLINGON

AUCKLAND

CATHEDRAL SQUARE

SAT 24 OCT

CHRISTCHURCH

FOUNDERS HERITAGE PARK

PARKWAY DRIVE (AU)

SAT 16 JAN

NELSON

VILLA MARIA WINERY

SUN 25 OCT

WED 07 OCT

AUCKLAND

EVENTS CENTRE

LOGAN CAMPBELL CENTRE

DUNEDIN

TRUSTS STADIUM

TRINITY ROOTS

CARTERTON

AUCKLAND

RIPITUP.CO.NZ

NICK COLLINGS

THIS MONTH IN CLUBL AND For the extended interviews and more check out ripitup.co.nz/clubland

YACHT

MIGUEL BASTIDA Born in Alhama de Granada (Spain) and residing in Barcelona, Miguel Bastida’s rise to prominence has been swift. His works on reputable labels such as Sci+Tec, Toolroom, Suara, Bedrock, Trapez, Deeperfect all speak for themselves. Clubland scratches the surface on Miguel Bastida. Coming up in electronic music, who was your DJ/ producer hero? Artists like Richie Hawtin, Marco Carola and Dubfire. What track of yours do you recommend to people who have never heard your music before? ‘Moudness’ was the most popular track for people, but I prefer my tracks ‘Soul Reactions’ or ‘Evidence Of Another Universe’. I

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like more melody, more feeling. What projects are you currently working on? I’m currently working on an original track with Stefano Noferini, a project with Wade and some techno stuff for Tronic Music. 2014 was the year of EDM. 2015 will be the year of? Techno! What’s the musical equivalent of the G-Spot? Any track where you learn something about yourself that you never before understood. SEE HIM DJ: MIGUEL BASTIDA (ESP) SAT OCT 10 INK BAR, AUCKLAND

American indie/electronic act YACHT began as a solo venture in 2002 for Jona Bechtolt, but soon doubled in size when Claire L Evans joined in 2008. They currently live in Los Angeles, California, but they both grew up in Portland, Oregon, and consider Marfa, Texas to be their ‘spiritual home.’ These three places come together to form what they lovingly refer to as the Western American Utopian Triangle. They have made four full-length albums with their fifth, I Thought The Future Would Be Cooler, just about to be released. For those late to the game: Album Launch: YACHT first teased the album by dropping a Google Maps pin on a location in Los Angeles, which led fans to a billboard that said, ‘I THOUGHT THE FUTURE WOULD BE COOLER.’ Claire and Jona stood at the foot of the billboard interacting with fans and it was all streamed live to the internet via the app Periscope.

Tracklist: YACHT published the album’s tracklist via a ‘tracklisticle’ on BuzzFeed with self-made gifs and commentary for each track on the album. ‘We chose to unveil it here on BuzzFeed because it’s 2015 and the album is dead, the novel is dead, but the GIF loops forever.” Artwork: The duo released the album’s artwork, shot by photographer and filmmaker Luke Gilford, by sending an edition of 300 prints of the artwork to fans directly, via fax. To do this, they built a web app that finds fans’ locations and sends a fax to the nearest retail office centre for them to collect. Each fax was individually numbered and included a cover sheet essay. The album itself is a quirky blend of synth-infused, alternative pop, not far removed from contemporaries like LCD Sound System, Yeah Yeah Yeahs or Hot Chip. YACHT I THOUGHT THE FUTURE WOULD BE COOLER IS OUT OCTOBER 16

THE UPBEATS Since 1998 Jeremy Glenn and Dylan Jones aka The Upbeats have taken homegrown drum & bass to the world. Their relentless style has captured favour with all the tastemakers in the genre including Black Sun Empire, Gridlock, Bad Company, Ed Rush & Optical through to local favourites State Of Mind, Shapeshifter, Cern, Bulletproof, Trei and Concord Dawn. They are a firm fixture on the European scene, having played the Pukkelpop, Outlook and Exit festival circuit this year and have just put the finishing touches on their brand new Dead Limit EP. Clubland caught up with Jeremy aka Terror Snake.

TURNING THE TABLES WITH… SBTRKT 1. SSBTRKT is the alias of Aaron Jerome Foulds. 2. Growing up on a farm in Cambridgeshire (UK) he thought he would end up being a farmer like his father and grandfather. 3. In 2007 as Aaron Jerome he put out a nu jazz album called Time To Rearrange. 4. He wears tribal masks while performing to keep his anonymity. 5. The masks are created with art direction from designer A Hidden Place. 6. Is signed to Young Turks, the same label that has released albums by FKA Twigs, Jamie XX

and El Guincho. 7. His tracks have featured vocals from Little Dragon, Jessie Ware, A$AP Ferg, Caroline Polachek, Raury, Ezra Koenig and principal vocalist Sampha. 8. Has remixed Radiohead, Underworld, Basement Jaxx, Modeselektor, M.I.A. and Mark Ronson with Drake remixing SBTRKT. 9. He has produced two studio albums SBTRKT, Wonder Where We Land and one live album, Live. 10.Wonder Where We Land was recorded on Osea Island, a remote spot off the Essex Coast that is only accessible by road when the tide is low. SEE HIM DJ: SBTRKT (UK) FRI 02 OCT ST JAMES, AUCKLAND

How did the Upbeats meet? We met in High School and I was already deeply in love with jungle and drum & bass and Dylan was a rock kid so it took a couple of months, but I slowly turned him into a little drum & bass disciple, and about the same time we were given our first music production software. We didn’t really have a plan to turn it into a career, but it’s evolved into this, which I’m incredibly grateful for. How did you connect with Noisia? About the same time we had our first few releases that started gaining traction, they were just starting to have their first few releases too, so we came up about the same time. We were heading over on our first tour of the UK and Europe and we said, ‘Why don’t we get in the studio’, so we made a mission from France and

went up to the Netherlands and stayed there for a week with them, ate Pizza, played Xbox and wrote a little track called ‘Sacrifice’ which then went on to be a reasonably big thing. We became really close friends and that’s why we continue to work with each other a decade down the road. Tell us how the Dead Limit EP with Noisia came to be? It’s been a work in progress for a couple of years now. It started with a couple of sketches that we wrote when one of the guys from Noisia, Nick came and stayed with us in New Zealand for a couple of weeks. We took a portable studio out, surfed and wrote music, and from that we drafted the sketches for ‘Mouthbreather’ and ‘Inverse’ off the EP. In April 2015 we got together for three weeks and sat down and finished it, and shortly afterwards came up with the concept for the artwork and created a whole movie scenario. We went out second-hand shopping and found costumes for each person and created a persona, and there’s a movie poster you can get with the EP. When will we see The Upbeats back in New Zealand? Both Dylan and I have been living in London for about a year, so I’ll be back at the end of September touring Australia and New Zealand with Noisia, and then I’m basically in NZ until February 2016 when the new album is meant to be out and touring starts up again. THE UPBEATS DEAD LIMIT EP IS OUT NOW ON 2X12” VINYL + POSTER + T-SHIRT OR DIGITAL

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SCREEN GUIDE

TUE 01 SEP

WARLORDS OF IVORY

OF DESTRUCTIVE POACHERS. BRYAN

NATIONAL GEORAPHIC 9:30PM

SCUMBAGS THROUGH A GPS-TRACKING

HORRIBLE FACT: 30,000 AFRICAN

TUSK, FOLLOWING A BLOODY TRAIL

ELEPHANTS ARE SLAUGHTERED EVERY

RIGHT TO THE DOORSTEP OF AFRICA’S

YEAR THANKS TO THE IVORY TRADE,

MOST DANGEROUS ASSHOLES.

CHRISTY GETS THE DIRT ON THESE

WHILST THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE ARE ATTACKED AND MURDERED IN THE PATH

THU 03 SEP

7 DAYS IN HELL SOHO 8:30PM

In this star-studded spoof of huge tennis tournaments, 7 Days in Hell follows Aaron Williams (Andy Samberg) and great British hope Charles Poole (GOT’s Kit

Harington) as they battle it out in a brutal five-set-per-day, weeklong Wimbledon marathon. Also starring SNL alumni Will Forte and Will Armisen, plus Girls’ Lena Dunham, this looks ridiculously indubitable.

SAT 05 SEP

GETTING FRANK GEHRY SKY ARTS 8:30PM

In 2010, one of the world’s greatest architects, Frank Gehry, unveiled the polarising designs of his first Australian building in Sydney. While some see

the ‘Treehouse’, the new SUT business school building, as revolutionary, others say it looks like a big brown paper bag. This enlightening documentary follows the 84-year-old Gehry as his commission is realised.

SUN 06 SEP TUE 08 SEP

HUMANS TV3 8:30PM

Exploring the emotional blur between humans and machines, Humans follows the lives of families and their ‘synths’ – robots who have actively taken

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part in society. This is some startling stuff, mainly because this shit is probs gonna happen real soon. Starring newcomers Manpreet Bachu and Lucy Carless, as well as William Hurt, Humans is too close for comfort.

TOP GEAR: AMBITIOUS BUT RUBBISH PRIME 7:30PM

Good ol’ Hammo, Hamboy, Ham ‘n Eggs - Richard Hammond looks back through the tumultuous, amazing Top Gear archive for moments that truly

live up to the title, ‘Ambitious but Rubbish’. Highlights/ lowlights include a V8-powered food blender and rocking chair, amphibious cars, hover-vans, building a Caterham car to race against the Stig, and vehicular disasters.

THU 10 SEP

LARRY KRAMER: IN LOVE AND ANGER SOHO 8:30PM

One of the most important and controversial figures in gay America today, Larry Kramer gets the spotlight shone. Including brutally honest interviews with

the author and activist over the past 30 years, Kramer has overcome adversity in more ways than one, both professionally and personally. A man who spearheaded gay rights, Kramer is inspiring.

SAT 19 SEP

RWC: OPENING CEREMONY & ENGLAND VS FIJI PRIME 6AM

And it begins– the Rugby World Cup’s first battle between England and Fiji. SKY Sport brings all the live action from the Motherland

along with pre and post-match analysis. Prime also has delayed coverage of every All Blacks pool match, plus highlights from others. As the AB’s progress to the final stages (cos they will), Prime will broadcast live.

FRI 11 SEP

9/10: THE FINAL HOURS NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC 8:30PM

The fateful day before 9/11 – just the thought of it – is unsettling for so many reasons. What transpired following those tragic events

in September 2001 changed America’s, and evidently, the world’s views on terrorism and the chilling motives behind it. It’s just as surreal watching that footage today. These are the moments before the attack.

THE BOX 9:30PM

1836 Texas - standoffs, whiskey out the barrel, saloons full of prostitutes. Shit was loose. In a star-studded new series which details the Texas Revolution and

EXTREME CHEAPSKATES TLC 8:30PM

Penny pinchers - always out to save a buck. They might reuse toilet paper and nappies, buy expired food on the day, do a

bit of bin bingeing; these are only a few ways to skimp large. But there are also some pretty inventive people out there. Who knew you could find an anniversary gift in the garbage? Goals, people.

MON 28 SEP

THU 17 SEP

TEXAS RISING

SAT 26 SEP

the rise of the Texas Rangers, we see General Sam Houston (Bill Paxton) head against the cruel Mexican General Santa Anna (Olivier Martinez) in a thrilling battle of human will.

TIG NOTARO: BOYISH GIRL INTERRUPTED SOHO 8:30PM

One of the USA’s most outrageous, ground-breaking comedy talents, Tig Notaro stars in her first-ever HBO special.

With her no-holds-barred honesty and a brutal deadpan style of humour and storytelling, Notaro also details traumatic times in her life, including the death of her mother and a cancer diagnosis – in her offbeat style, of course.

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THE BOX ANDREW JOHNSTONE BRINGS YOUR ATTENTION TO A VARIETY OF TELEVISUAL DELIGHTS. The internet, subscripion streaming and ‘TV on demand’ has revolutionised the way we watch TV shows. No longer beholden to television networks and their programming whims and scheduling, we can watch back-to-back episodes of new and old shows to our heart’s content, and without those annoying ads interrupting the narrative flow. TV viewing has suddenly become more accessible, democratic and a hell of a lot more fun.

THE MAN IN THE HIGH CASTLE (2015) The Man In The High Castle is a new TV series from Amazon Studios, the people who brought us internet shopping. It’s a cracker show. Adapted from an alternate history novel by one of the iconic figures of the golden age of sci-fi writing, Philip K Dick, the story, set in the early 1960s, explores a world where the allies have lost World War 2. After the Nazis successfully drop an atomic bomb on Washington DC, the Allied war effort crumbles and the US falls to the Germans and Japanese. They divide the country into three parts. The Pacific West Coast States (Japan), The Greater Reich (the German-occupied

JONATHON STRANGE AND MR NORRELL (2015) A quality British production based on a bestselling fantasy novel set

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Eastern States), and the neutral zone, an area that stretches down through Middle America, creating a buffer between the German and Japanese territories. I have not read the book so I can’t comment on the narrative, but two episodes in we are experiencing life under totalitarian rule. Jews and blacks have pretty much disappeared off the face of the earth and extermination facilities regularly take care of the physically and mentally disabled and other ‘undesirables’. The tone is grim, the fear palpable and the resistance, though active, is facing almost insurmountable odds. But there is a flicker of hope: a film showing the Allies winning the war is being distributed by a semi-mythological figure called The Man In The High Castle, and is striking fear into the hearts of both the Nazis and Japanese. What is this film and why is it so important? God knows, but this is what great TV is all about: mystery, intrigue, character and most of all, hope fighting back against fear. Deftly crafted, this show looks like it could be one of the television events of the year.

in an alternate England where practical magic has, at least until recent times, been part of the life of the nation. The art of English magic has been dormant for 300 years and thought lost until two new practical magicians arrive on the scene, Jonathon Strange and Mr Norrell. I read this dense and detailed book when it first came out several years back and wondered how it would translate to a TV serial format. Pretty damned well it turns out. Perhaps not to everyone’s taste, but if you have a thing for fantasy and enjoy a good yarn, you are going to have a ball.

HUMANS (2015) This show is a British remake of a highly successful Swedish TV show called Real Humans, and is set in a near future world populated by humans and ‘synths’, near-human robotic clones that serve as servants, caregivers and manual labourers. These non-sentient thinking machines are carefully designed to be harmless to humans, yet pose a number of philosophical

DAMAGES (20072012) Veteran actress Glenn Close stars as master lawyer Patty Hughes in one of the most daring legal dramas to grace the small screen since Boston Legal. Patty is smart, devious and possibly sociopathic and it seems has finally met her match in young lawyer Ellen Parsons. The beauty of Damages lies in its sharp writing, which explores themes like corporate greed, religious terrorism and

problems as they have put legions of people out of work, and are open to all kinds of abuses and on top of it all, some of them seem to be developing consciousness. This series is typically British fare with great acting, excellent production values and deft writing that’s not afraid to ask us the hard questions and take us to dark places. Perhaps the best examination of artificial intelligence since Steven Spielberg’s masterful film AI.

the art of the law with searing wit. The other notable feature of Damages is the long running story arcs - no one-act episodes here. Kudos to Ted Dansen who, across the course of the first two seasons offers a gob-smacking turn as the appalling corporate thief Arthur Frobisher, and to newcomer Rose Byrne as Patty’s protégé and eventual nemesis, Ellen Parsons, a part she plays with daring bravado and complex subtlety.

CAMILLE O’SULLIVAN CHANGELING

A cross between Sally Bowles, Patti Smith and P J Harvey… a major star ★★★★ THE SCOTSMAN

3 – 6 SEPT Concert Chamber, Auckland Town Hall Tickets* from $49 | Tables of 6* from $330 ticketmaster.co.nz Presented by

*Service fees apply.

FILM REVIEWS

AN IRRATIONAL MAN DIRECTED BY WOODY ALLEN

GOODNIGHT MOMMY

LEGEND

STONE, JOE STAPLETON

DIRECTED BY VERONIKA FRANZ/

DIRECTED BY BRIAN HELGELAND

SEVERIN FIALA

STARRING TOM HARDY, EMILY

STARRING SUSANNE WUEST, ELIAS

BROWING, TARON EGERTON

SCHWARZ, LUKAS SCHWARZ

Goodnight Mommy begins a long series of shots following two twin boys as they explore the lush Austrian countryside. They run with carefree abandon through woodland and pasture, a field of maize, an old graveyard and then most notably, through an ancient boneyard, and it’s here that the directors offer the viewer the first clues to what is actually going on - substantial clues that mean nothing until the big reveal in the closing act.Meanwhile, their mother arrives home after an extended hospital stay, her face carefully hidden behind a veil of bandages, suggesting that she has just undergone extensive cosmetic surgery. Who is the woman behind the mask of gauze? As the days pass, the boys begin to suspect that this woman is not their mother. To say more would spoil the deliciousness of the narrative, so I will conclude by saying this film is a searing psychological examination of madness, and not for the faint hearted. Expertly written and choreographed, unsettling and totally bizarre, Goodnight Mommy was one of the highlights of this year’s NZ International Film Festival.

Through the 1950s and into the ‘60s, the Kray twins Ronnie and Reggie were the undisputed rulers of the London underworld. The first major film about the Kray’s dates from 1990, with brothers Martin and Gary Kemp (Spandau Ballet) as Ronnie and Reggie. Legend, the latest film to explore the story of the gangster twins, strikes a remarkably similar tone, except this time the twins are played by one actor, Tom Hardy. Hardy is one sharp performer and he delivers in spades as both the psychotic Ronnie and the much more level headed Reggie. While the ‘90s version explores the legend from childhood and examines the background conditions that lead the boys into a life of crime, Legend begins toward the end of the twins’ glittering career, and focuses more on the events that lead to their eventual downfall. The violence that underpinned their reputations is certainly on display here, but is not the star feature; this film is more about character, temperament and personality. The result is mesmerising. A deftly written period piece that is close to flawless, Legend is the best British gangster film since Sexy Beast 15 years ago.

ANDREW JOHNSTONE

At 80 Woody Allen isn’t getting any happier with life, nor is he inclined to stop asking the big questions. An Irrational Man, Allen’s 45th theatrical feature, sees the writer-director in the same territory as his classics Crimes And Misdemeanours and Match Point, channelling Dostoyevsky with a tale of a philosophy professor whose depression is lifted when he seeks to both commit a crime and escape punishment. The ambition as ever is to be applauded, the execution less so. Part of the problem is Allen’s choice of location. Setting the film in Newport, Rhode Island invites comparisons more with the musical High Society than bleak Russian literary masters. Beautiful coastal vistas and an improbably airy and laid back university campus establish a tone altogether too light for where the material is heading. Emma Stone’s jaunty narration contributes to the problem. In fact, just about all the voice-over work does. Normally judicious in this area, Allen elects to have his story spelt out by multiple characters and it’s lazy and obvious, as though he felt the need to spoon feed us themes and narrative information rather than dramatise them. As in much of Allen’s recent work, the dialogue is also overly expository or arch and mannered. To an extent this is

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STARRING JOAQUIN PHOENIX, EMMA

countered by some exceptionally good acting. As the troubled academic, Joaquin Phoenix sports a potbelly, swigs from a hip flask and exerts his usual puppy dog intensity, convincing at every turn. Stone has the more difficult part and at first seems just another ingénue, playing the giddy undergraduate besotted by the melancholy teacher. However, as the character grows so does the performance. Parker Posey also shines as the secondary love interest, exerting both pathos and humour. Too much humour though is the film’s weakness. In Crimes And Misdemeanours Allen struck the perfect balance between the light and the dark, one informing the other, but in An Irrational Man he struggles to find a satisfactory midpoint. The climax has a degree of shock value, but Allen loses his nerve and the ending feels like a cop out. There’s also the minor but very irritating fact of the score. Usually so sure of his soundtrack choices, Allen’s decision to use the Ramsey Lewis Trio’s 1965 live recording of ‘The ‘In’ Crowd’ over and over and over again is at best eccentric. Sometimes such deliberate repetition heightens dramatic impact or reveals fresh levels of irony or meaning. This is not the case here. By the end of the credits you’ll want to smash every recording of the tune you can get your hands on. RICHARD SWAINSON

FILM REVIEWS

PEOPLE, PLACES, THINGS

WALKING THE CAMINO: SIX WAYS TO SANTIAGO

DIRECTED BY JAMES C STROUSE

DIRECTED BY LYDIA SMITH

STARRING JEMAINE CLEMENT, REGINA HALL, STEPHANIE ALLYNNE

The Camino de Santiago starts in Southern France and meanders across 500km of Northern Spain to finish at the Spanish city of Santiago de Compostela. People have been traversing this pilgrimage route since the Middle Ages and in 2014, some 200,000 from across the globe made the journey. For some it is a religious experience, for others it is a spiritual journey. For a few the pull to take the pilgrimage is an inexplicable compulsion without rhyme or reason, and then there are those for whom it is simply an opportunity to party. This documentary film follows six people undertaking the pilgrimage, each for their own particular reasons. They all begin with heavy baggage, both physical and personal, and along the way they strip it all away, and in doing so come to terms with their life situations, arriving at the city of Santiago mentally and physically transformed. Walking The Camino is a small, quiet film that reveals something of the deeper meaning of life while exploring the natural beauty of Northern Spain. The end result is transcendent.

Jemaine Clement is designer dad Will, who after discovering his wife’s infidelity on the day of their twins’ birthday is left devastated and reeling. When Will’s wife Charlie (Stephanie Allynne) takes off with local OffBroadway monologist Gary, Will is left alone to raise their twins. Camping trips, cartoons, pastels and a cute indie soundtrack follow. After a few early laughs the film becomes tiresome and Clement, while eminently likable, just doesn’t have the chops to pull this part off. While being lighthearted and funny, this type of film demands succinct, subtle writing and performances; qualities that are not on offer here. This nauseatingly twee rom-com from nauseatingly twee New York director James C Strouse is really just not that good. GUY INNES

ANDREW JOHNSTONE

DVD REVIEW SOMEONE YOU LOVE (EN DU ELSKER) DIRECTED BY PERNILLE FISCHER

STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON DIRECTED BY F. GARY GRAY

Starting out, NIGGAZWIT ATTITUDES (Niggers With Attitude) were music lovers, hustling the rap game for cars, weed and women. But in a matter of months, they would transform into spokesmen for 1980s black America, as well as pioneers of gangster rap. They released three albums and an EP, with 1988’s Straight Outta Compton now seen as a classic. They became millionaires with platinum record sales and the shit escalated fast. Spending years in development, this big budget biopic is a cautionary tale of rags to riches, ruthless style, and as discrimination and police brutality is still very much a problem in 2015, both the album and film are eerily relevant. Major turning points, like the recording of debut single ‘Boyzn-the-Hood’ and their feud with

the LAPD over ‘Fuck the Police’, are here in detail. The dubious legal wrangling of manager Jerry Heller (Paul Giamatti) provides the story arc, with Ice Cube’s departing kill shot ‘No Vaseline’ being a standout moment. At its worst, Compton tries to sum up the ‘90s rap game in stylised bullet points, zipping from 1991’s Efil4zaggin LP to Suge Knight and Death Row to Dre forming his Aftermath label. The guess-the-rapper cameos are fun, though Ren and Yella, (important characters here), are sadly relegated to bit parts, and skipping over the mindfuck scenario of Eazy E in the White House is sacrilege. The crowning achievement of this film is to demonstrate that NWA mattered. Keep in mind this is intended for a mass audience, and Straight Outta Compton, for the most part, works as an entertaining summation of the group’s legacy. JAKE EBDALE

CHRISTENSEN STARRING MIKAEL PERSBRANDT, TRINE DYRHOLM, BIRGITTE HJORT

Someone You Love is a film that treads a well-worn path in its tale of heartbreak, loss, and discovery. Mikael Perbrandt plays Thomas Jacob, an aging musician who has a knack for gravelly ballads, and a penchant for all-black ensembles teamed with slicked-back silver hair - much like a certain Mr Leonard Cohen. Thomas is a successful albeit tempestuous Dane who has begrudgingly returned home to record a new album. This is interrupted by the arrival of his estranged daughter Julie (Brigitte Hjort Sorensen) who is forced into rehab due to her cocaine habit, and has to leave her teenage son Noa with Jacob. Both hardly know each other and there are initial tensions, but they begin to connect through music. Just as everything evens out, Julie predictably dies from an overdose, requiring Thomas

to make a decision that will be life changing regardless of what choice he makes.Despite the mundane plot and over-reliance on characterisation clichés (particularly the ‘tortured artist’ trope), not all is lost in this film. Perbrandt’s acting is a high point, and there are engaging scenes during face-offs between the slightly grizzled, tattooed Thomas and the doe-eyed Noa, a child who is forced to grow up way too quickly. Delicate camera work and good use of chiaroscuro adds interest and melancholy, while silence says as much as music. So technicality, rather than content is Someone You Love’s greatest strength, and a well-balanced film obviously has both. It’s beautifully shot and well acted, but that struggles to make up for a tatty story line and dull script writing. I found myself predicting events and conversations that would happen within the film with alarming accuracy, and was - dare I say it - bored by the time the credits rolled. KATE POWELL

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CULTURE GUIDE

THU 03 SEP

THE WATERCOOLER: SECRETS

THU 06 AUG

BASEMENT THEATRE

ERNEST RUTHERFORD: EVERYONE CAN SCIENCE!

AUCKLAND

THE BASEMENT THEATRE

8:30PM, $12, ITICKET.CO.NZ

AUCKLAND

On at The Basement, The Watercooler: Secrets features four speakers sharing stories of truth, fibs and straight up porkies. Guided only by a simple brief, this is a platform for everyday people to share tales simple, stark, outrageous and introspective. Could make for awkward viewing. Anyone can apply for future Watercooler events on their website.

7PM, $20, ITICKET.CO.NZ TUE 08 SEP

Written and performed by Nic Sampson, writer of high culture extravaganza Jono

And Ben, Ernest Rutherford emerges from the grave, giving us the exhilarating tour of his life, complete with trademark 19th century wit and immaculate moustache. Touted by Guy Williams as ‘the best character comedy I’ve ever seen in NZ’, this Ernest brings the vintage laughs, fo’ sho.

FRI 11 SEP FRI 04 SEP

SUN 10 SEP

THE BLACK BASEMENT THEATRE AUCKLAND 8PM, $25, ITICKET.CO.NZ

K Road, Auckland, New Year’s Eve. Drinks are flowing, people are crackin’ it and getting their pash on. Suddenly, the sky opens with a rumble and a crack of lighting – The Black has arrived. Cleo watches the darkness from her window. This is Josephine Stewart-Tewhiu’s story of modern depression, the dark horse of our busy lives.

WED 09 SEP

FRI 11 SEP

RUSSIAN BALLET: SLEEPING BEAUTY

NZ BREAKERS VS SYDNEY KINGS

JOE MANDE

THE FOOD SHOW WESTPAC STADIUM

THE OPERA HOUSE

CLAUDELANDS ARENA

AUCKLAND

WELLINGTON

HAMILTON

7PM, $30, TICKETMASTER.CO.NZ

10AM, $23, FOODSHOW.CO.NZ

7:30PM, $60.50, TICKETEK.CO.NZ

7PM, $25, TICKETEK.CO.NZ

Here’s the Food Show down low - you pay for a ticket, wrestle through impatient lip-smacking snoot-bag nanas for a few samples, spend more than an average shop at Countdown, and walk out feeling like John Goodman with three tubs of expensive coconut oil. So why go? Cos it’s FOOD and I’m HUNGRY and INSTAGRAM, that’s why.

The Russian National Ballet Theatre returns for a sweeping tour across NZ and Australia. With more than 50 nimble and extremely fit ballet dancers, they’ve given Russian ballet a new lease of life in this generous staging of Sleeping Beauty. Directed by Evgeny Amosov, witness this classical ballet cornerstone in all its glory.

Bringing the ANBL trophy to Claudelands Arena in Hamilton, the SkyCity Breakers are bound to give the Sydney Kings a basket-full of basketball brutality. Tom Abercrombie, Mika Vukona and Corey Webster (fresh from his NBA try out with the Pacers) are returning, as well as ultraquick point guard Cedric ‘Action’ Jackson. Get them good seats!

LA based comedian, actor and writer for such shows as Parks And Recreation and Delocated, Joe Mande makes an appearance at the Tuning Fork. For local comedy aficionados, Mande is one of the sharpest talents in the alt-comedy writing scene, so a good opportunity to swap numbers and get your copy of acclaimed his Bitchface album signed, personally.

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TUNING FORK

CULTURE GUIDE THU 17 SEP

SWING AOTEA CENTRE AUCKLAND 8PM, $35, TICKETMASTER.CO.NZ SAT 19 SEP

THU 17 SEP FRI 11 SEP

A NIGHT WITH KEVIN SMITH

NZ GAME DEVELOPERS’ CONFERENCE

SKYCITY THEATRE

AUT CITY CAMPUS

8PM, $85, NONSTOPTIX.CO.NZ

AUCKLAND

Witty writer, divisive director and portly old comedy chum Kevin Smith heads to NZ for an infamous ‘An Evening with...’ chat. Previous talks have borne classic anecdotes of Prince, Bruce Willis and the movie industry in general, and interaction is encouraged for the dirt. See Silent Bob strike back and get a ticket before they’re snapped up!

9AM, $160, EVENTFINDA.CO.NZ

That tight-knit community of Fanta-drinking crumb-dumpers, aka game developers, aka future millionaires, will come together at the NZGDC. This is New Zealand’s biggest gaming industry event, so get ready for topic streams! International speakers! And most importantly, stimulating chat about games, games, girls and games with fellow code junkies! Crash Bandicoot reboot, please.

AUCKLAND

A poignantly Irish production starring Steve Blount and Janet Moran, Swing is a comedy about dancing, music, love and the good stuff - you know, giving it a real lash and acting the maggot, boy. A lovely story that has garnered stellar reviews in The New Yorker and The Irish Times, don’t give Swing a miss.

WED 30 SEP

LITTLE ESTHER POVITSKY TUNING FORK AUCKLAND 7PM, $30, TICKETMASTER.CO.NZ WED 30 SEP

Having appeared on hilarious shows like Parks And Recreation, Key & Peele, Jimmy Kimmel Live and many more, mouth-guarded Esther Povitsky is a fixture on the LA comedy scene, with a knack for quirk and a penchant for weird. Check her or heckle her (though you’ll get slain – she’s sharp) at the Tuning Fork.

THU 17 SEP

NZSO PRESENTS: CLASSICAL HITS TOWN HALL AUCKLAND 7:30PM, $33, TICKETMASTER.CO.NZ SAT 26 SEP

For all you uncultured peasants, get the 411 on classical music’s greatest hits presented by NZSO Music Director Emeritus James. Brought to you by Ryman Healthcare, hear ‘Ride Of The Valkyries’ at full blast (earplug dependent), or tap those creaky toes to Rossini’s ‘William Tell Overture’. Fun for all ages. I said: fun for all ages, dear.

THU 17 SEP SUN 13 SEP THU 22 SEP

TUE 15 SEP

ITM CUP: AUCKLAND VS OTAGO

CATS THE MUSICAL

EDEN PARK

MITIMITI Q THEATRE AUCKLAND

CIVIC THEATRE

PINK FLOYD MUSIC AND LIGHT SHOW

AUCKLAND

STARDOME OBSERVATORY

WED 30 SEP

2:35PM, $15, TICKETMASTER.CO.NZ

7:30PM, $69.90, TICKETMASTER.CO.NZ

AUCKLAND

Get involved in some hearty ITM Cup action at our sacred Eden Park. Auckland boasts some

In this acclaimed West End revival of the hit Broadway musical CATS, Sophia Ragavelas stars as Grizabella the Glamour Cat, and in what must be a huge bucket list tick, gets to sing the classic ‘Memory’. Seen by over 73 million people the world over and winner of seven Tony awards, CATS is an alltime classic.

8PM, $35, STARDOME.ORG.NZ

An avant-garde presentation that plunges into the Te Rarawa lineage of choreographer Jack Gray, Mitimiti aims to disrupt the preconceptions of theatre, invoking themes of colonisation, urbanisation and globalisation. With live kapa haka and film installation in beautiful surround sound, Mitimiti promises to be something special for all of Aotearoa’s fine people. Check it.

pretty big units this year, with Marcel Renata, Rieko Ioane and Akira Ioane, while the blue and gold include Tony Ensor, Jayden Spence and Jack Wilson. On a side note, Stephen ‘The Beaver’ Donald has returned to the Waikato team!

It was previously a Dark Side Of The Moon/Wish You Were Here double feature. Now, replace the latter with the epic Roger Waterssoaked double album The Wall, and you have another epic Floyd night out in the Stardome. Wanna know what Dad’s epic acid trip from ’79 was like? Next best thing right here.

8PM, $35, TEMPO.CO.NZ

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SEPTEMBER EVENTS A NIGHT KEVIN SMITH (US)

NEW PLYMOUTH

SUN 13 SEP

FRI 18 SEP

REGENT ON BROADWAY THEATRE

GOOD MOURNING MRS. BROWN (UK)

THU 17 SEP

BROADWAY

PALMERSTON NORTH

FRI 25 - SAT 26 MAR

SKYCITY THEATRE

PALMERSTON NORTH

TUE 15 SEP

VECTOR ARENA

AUCKLAND

SAT 19 SEP

TSB THEATRE

AUCKLAND

MICHAEL FOWLER CENTRE

NEW PLYMOUTH

ERNEST RUTHERFORD: EVERYONE CAN SCIENCE!

WELLINGTON

WED 16 SEP

JOHN BISHOP (UK)

SUN 20 SEP

TSB THEATRE

FRI 16 OCT

FLOOR PRIDE CIVIC THEATRE

NEW PLYMOUTH

BRUCE MASON CENTRE

TUE 09 - SAT 17 SEP

BLENHEIM

BASEMENT THEATRE

WED 23 SEP

SWING

AUCKLAND

MUNICIPAL THEATRE

WED 16 - SAT 19 SEP

JOHN GRANT (US)

NAPIER

AOTEA CENTRE

FRI 18 MAR

FOOD SPACE

THU 24 SEP

AUCKLAND

TOWN HALL

SAT 12 SEP

CIVIC THEATRE

DALDY STREET PARK

ROTORUA

AUCKLAND

FRI 25 SEP

TEMPO DANCE FESTIVAL

FOUNDERS THEATRE

WED 30 SEP

LITTLE ESTHER POVITSKY (US)

FUN RUN

HAMILTON

Q THEATRE

THU 01 OCT

TUE 15 - SAT 19 SEP

SAT 26 SEP

AUCKLAND

THE FRINGE

BASEMENT THEATRE,

TOWN HALL

AUCKLAND

THE BLACK

AUCKLAND

WELLINGTON

SUN 27 SEP

TUE 08 SEP - SAT 12 SEP

NICK & MEGAN (US)

JOE MANDE (US)

FORUM NORTH

THE BASEMENT THEATRE

THU 11 FEB

FRI 11 SEP

WHANGAREI

AUCKLAND

BRUCE MASON CENTRE

TUNING FORK

AUCKLAND

VK’S COMEDY & BLUES BAR

ROYAL NZ BALLET: A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM

WELLINGTON

WED 02 SEP - SUN 06 SEP

AUCKLAND SAT 12 SEP

OPERA HOUSE WELLINGTON

ASB THEATRE

LITTLE ESTHER POVITSKY (US)

AUCKLAND

TUE 13 OCT

THU 17 & SAT 19 MAR

THU 10 SEP

SKYCITY THEATRE

TOWN HALL

WED 30 SEP

CIVIC THEATRE

AUCKLAND

TUNING FORK

ROTORUA

AUCKLAND

WED 16 SEP REGENT,

AN EVENING WITH OPRAH (US)

NZ INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

PALMERSTON NORTH

WED 16 DEC

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC LIVE (US)

SAT 19 SEP - SUN 20 SEP

VECTOR ARENA

WED 21 OCT

TUE 01 SEP - SUN 13 SEP

MUNICIPAL THEATRE

AUCKLAND

AOTEA CENTRE

MULTIPLE VENUES

NAPIER

NIXON IN CHINA

AUCKLAND

CIRQUE DU SOLEIL - QUIDAM

THU 22 OCT

FRI FEB 05 - SUN FEB 14

WELLINGTON

MULTIPLE VENUES

RUSSIAN BALLET: SWAN LAKE

HAWKE’S BAY

THU 03 SEP

VECTOR ARENA

WED 02 SEP - WED 16 SEP

TE KOTAHITANGA EXPO HALL

AUCKLAND

MULTIPLE VENUES

WHANGAREI

THU FEB 18 - SUN FEB 21

MASTERTON

SAT 05 SEP

HORNCASTLE ARENA

NZSO PRESENTS: BOLD WORLDS - FIRE & ICE

THU 03 SEP - SUN 20 SEP

ROYAL OPERA HOUSE

CHRISTCHURCH

FRI 30 OCT

MULTIPLE VENUES

WANGANUI

NEW PLYMOUTH

MON 07 SEP

TUE 01 SEP - SUN 06 SEP

FOUNDERS THEATRE

MULTIPLE VENUES

THU 03 SEP - SUN 20 SEP

SOUNDINGS THEATRE

MICHAEL FOWLER CENTRE WELLINGTON

HAMILTON

DR WHO PETER CAPALDI IN CONVERSATION (UK)

PALMERSTON NORTH

WED 09 SEP

TUE 24 NOV

CHRISTCHURCH

TUE 01 SEP - SUN 13 SEP

TOWN HALL

CIVIC THEATRE

FRI 06 NOV

MULTIPLE VENUES

MASTERTON

AUCKLAND

TOWN HALL

TAURANGA

FRI 11 SEP

NZSO PRESENTS: CLASSICAL HITS

WELLINGTON SAT 12 SEP

THU 12 NOV

THU 17 SEP

REGENT ON BROADWAY THEATRE

TUNING FORK

TSB THEATRE

PALMERSTON NORTH

AUCKLAND

RIPITUP.CO.NZ

WED 04 NOV HORNCASTLE ARENA

AUCKLAND

DUNCAN TRUSSELL (US)

THE OPERA HOUSE

FRI 12 FEB

AL MURRAY - THE PUB LANDLORD (UK)

HAMILTON

FUTURE EVENTS

SAT 07 NOV

HAMILTON

FOUNDERS THEATRE

FUTURE EVENTS

NOW SHOWING

NZSO PRESENTS: RITE OF SPRING FRI 20 NOV MICHAEL FOWLER CENTRE WELLINGTON TUE 24 NOV TOWN HALL DUNEDIN

ARTHOUSE, CULT & INTERNATIONAL

WED 25 NOV

THE GUEST

THOMAS & FRIENDS: SODOR’S

90% APPROVAL

LEGEND OF THE LOST TREASURE

THE MEASURE OF A MAN

IMDB 6.9/10 STARS

HORNCASTLE ARENA

45 YEARS

IMDB 6.7/10 STARS

WHEN MARNIE WAS THERE

CHRISTCHURCH

100% APPROVAL

THE TRIBE

89% APPROVAL

FRI 27 NOV

ATTACK ON TITAN

86% APPROVAL

TOWN HALL

IMDB 5.4/10 STARS

AUCKLAND

DEATHGASM

MAINSTREAM DOCUMENTARY 5 FLIGHTS UP

67% APPROVAL

RUSSELL BRAND (UK)

EMBRACE OF THE SERPENT

AMY

52% APPROVAL

WED 14 OCT

IMDB 8.3/10 STARS

97% APPROVAL

ANT-MAN (3D)

VECTOR ARENA

EX MACHINA

BANKSY DOES NEW YORK

79% APPROVAL

AUCKLAND

92% APPROVAL

100% APPROVAL

FANTASTIC FOUR

FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD

BEING EVEL

8% APPROVAL

SHATNER’S WORLD.. WE JUST LIVE IN IT (US)

84% APPROVAL

97% APPROVAL

HITMAN: AGENT 47

GEMMA BOVERY

BEST OF ENEMIES

9% APPROVAL

52% APPROVAL

94% APPROVAL

JURASSIC WORLD (3D)

SAT 10 OCT

GO AWAY MR. TUMOR

CROSSING RACHMANINOFF

72% APPROVAL

AOTEA CENTRE

IMDB 7.0/10 STARS

IMDB 8.4/10 STARS

KINGSMAN: THE SECRET

AUCKLAND

HOLDING THE MAN

GOING CLEAR:

SERVICE

88% APPROVAL

SCIENTOLOGY AND

75% APPROVAL

SHEN YUN 2016 (CN)

IRRATIONAL MAN

THE PRISON OF BELIEF

MAGIC MIKE XXL

39% APPROVAL

93% APPROVAL

65% APPROVAL

FRI 12 FEB

LAST CAB TO DARWIN

PEGGY GUGGENHEIM: ART

MAN UP

AOTEA CENTRE

83% APPROVAL

ADDICT

81% APPROVAL

AUCKLAND

LEARNING TO DRIVE

IMDB 7.9/10 STARS

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - ROGUE

54% APPROVAL

SHE’S BEAUTIFUL WHEN SHE’S

NATION

SISTER ANZAC

LEVIATHAN

ANGRY

93% APPROVAL

THU 03 - SUN 06 SEP

99% APPROVAL

97% APPROVAL

PAPER TOWNS

TE POU THEATRE

LIVING IS EASY WITH EYES

SUNSHINE SUPERMAN

56% APPROVAL

NEW LYNN

CLOSED

90 % APPROVAL

RICKI AND THE FLASH

100% APPROVAL

THE GROUND WE WON

62% APPROVAL

STEPHEN FRY (UK)

LOVE & MERCY

IMDB 8.8/10 STARS

SELFLESS

WED 02 DEC

90% APPROVAL

THE WOLFPACK

20% APPROVAL

CIVIC THEATRE

MADAME BOVARY

85% APPROVAL

SHE’S FUNNY THAT WAY

AUCKLAND

43% APPROVAL

WALKING THE CAMINO: SIX

37% APPROVAL

MARSHLAND

WAYS TO SANTIAGO

SOUTHPAW

TEMPO DANCE FESTIVAL

87% APPROVAL

88% APPROVAL

59% APPROVAL

MR. HOLMES

WOMEN HE’S UNDRESSED

TERMINATOR: GENISYS

THU 01 OCT - SUN 18

87% APPROVAL

100% APPROVAL

26% APPROVAL

OCT Q THEATRE

MUNDE KAMAAL DE

AUCKLAND

IMDB 7.1/10 STARS

THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E.

FAMILY

NOBLE

67% APPROVAL TRAINWRECK

TIM AND ERIC (US)

86% APPROVAL

DOCTOR PROCTOR’S FART

86% APPROVAL

FRI 18 DEC

RESULTS

POWDER

VACATION

SKYCITY THEATRE

81% APPROVAL

IMDB 5.8/10 STARS

26% APPROVAL

AUCKLAND

SLOW WEST

DRAGON BALL Z:

WE ARE YOUR FRIENDS

91% APPROVAL

RESURRECTION ‘F’

48% APPROVAL

THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA

TANGERINES

80% APPROVAL

83% APPROVAL

INSIDE OUT (3D)

THU 11 FEB - SUN 06 MAR

TESTAMENT OF YOUTH

98% APPROVAL

CIVIC THEATRE

81% APPROVAL

MINIONS (3D)

*THE RATINGS ARE BY REVIEW SITE

AUCKLAND

THE FALLING

54% APPROVAL

ROTTEN TOMATOES UNLESS INDICATED.

78% APPROVAL

SONG OF THE SEA

ROTTEN TOMATOES TAKES ALL

THE GALLOWS

99% APPROVAL

AVAILABLE REVIEWS AND COMPILES A

16% APPROVAL

RELIABLE AGGREGATE RATING.

RIPITUP.CO.NZ

ANDREW JOHNSTONE & YANA ALANA

YANA AL ANA Cabaret Artist Extraordinaire

SARAH WARD IS YANA ALANA, CABARET ARTIST, WHO WEARS NOTHING BUT A SHOCKING SLICK OF BLUE PAINT IN HER SHOW BETWEEN THE CRACKS AT AUCKLAND’S INTERNATIONAL CABARET SEASON. WE GIVE HER THE GRAND CEREMONIAL RIP IT UP Q&A TREATMENT. Your given name is Sarah Ward, but your stage name and alter ego is Yana Alana. Tell us about the name, and how you came up with it and the concept behind it. At the time of creating this character all I knew is that she was a spoken word poet who took herself too seriously and was literal. I just liked Yana as a first name and then, well, I wanted a second name that rhymed, because to her poetry must rhyme and therefore so must her name. I believe Yana secretly has a very suburban name but

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changed it herself, like many friends of mine. Please offer us some biographical information. Which part of Australia do you hail from? I grew up in many different areas, mostly in New South Wales. In fact, in a recent discussion with my mother I realised I’ve lived in 24 different houses in the 37 years I’ve been around. In my early years that would be around one move a year. I can’t account for why. My father worked in retail for Woolworths. Most people think it must have been the military it’s just what happened I guess. I now live in Melbourne. It’s home now and because I’ve lived in the same area for the past 7-8 years I understand for the first time what belonging to a community is, and true friendship. It’s never too late. Please describe some defining moments from your life - the good, the bad and the ugly. I’ll leave the really ugly bits for my memoir. But the bad, well…

they involve the good too, I can’t separate them. Last year I was diagnosed with kidney cancer, but they took my kidney and I live on. The year before they removed huge cysts from my ovaries. It turns out I have disease called endometriosis. That was a huge operation and was pretty traumatic. At that time they were unsure whether it was cancer - thank goodness it wasn’t. I had a nervous breakdown at 26 and have battled with depression and anxiety most of my life. The anxiety is an ongoing thing I manage daily, but I’m getting there. The good bits are having the most incredible partner a woman could ask for. She is also my creative collaborator. I have amazing friends and an incredible life, I am grateful to be able to make a living being a freelance artist and to live in a wonderful, safe, inspiring city. You are a cabaret artist. Please explain to us what cabaret is and your place in the genre. I see cabaret as an opportunity to hold a mirror up to society. I like to create cabaret which is not just

entertaining, but challenging and at times abstract. I like to walk that line between cabaret and performance art. Making people laugh is a huge part of how I approach the political content in my shows. When people laugh they have their mouths open and that’s when you feed them the politics. They’re more likely to digest it this way. I like to break down taboos and challenge the status quo with laughter and song. I love singing! From where do you draw your inspiration? My own life and the life of those around me as well as the current state of politics in Australia and around the world. Drag queens, performance artists, visual art, rock stars - female, gender defiant and queer. On the subject of inspiration, which artists (of any genre) inspire you? Beth Ditto for strength and sex, Laurie Anderson and Yoko Ono for the political and abstract, Bjork for the voice and costumes, David Bowie,

Patti Smith and Tilda Swinton for gender defiance, Divine for the fabulous and grotesque. Honestly, I could keep going. To sum up, strong women and men who are not afraid to be who they are or a version of who they are and challenge, provoke, inspire, titillate and captivate. You also perform with a band called The Paranas. Tell us about this part of your performing life. My two other shows are performed with the band. One of my favourite Yana quotes is, ‘People ask me why do you perform with an all female band? Is it a political choice?’ And I say ‘no, I don’t think of gender, I think of who’s the best!’ I love performing with the band. In fact we have a new show called Yana Alana Covered premiering at the Melbourne Fringe in October. After performing for three years naked, Yana will be wearing clothes singing other people’s songs. Our cousins across the Tasman can be a bit bewildering to Kiwis. We are somewhat more socially progressive, less inclined toward racial superiority and way more politically moderate. Please correct me if I am wrong, and offer your thoughts on Australia. Also: Please offer some commentary about Tony Abbott, who from afar seems to validate our worst impressions about Australia. I don’t blame Kiwis for being bewildered. How is it that Australia got to the point where we are imprisoning children and refugees indefinitely with offshore processing? How is it that we are currently closing Aboriginal communities? How is it we are still conservative when it comes to rights of the LGBTIQ community, and gay marriage is still up for debate? How is it we are such big polluters and doing nothing about climate change? Let it be known that a huge percentage

of Australians are progressive thinkers and are appalled and ashamed and even scared. I think the Australian Government only began to acknowledge the wrong done by the Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander people since invasion when our Prime Minister at the time, Kevin Rudd, apologised to the stolen generation. It was an incredibly healing moment for Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander and non-indigenous people alike. But there has been no acknowledgement from the Government of the genocide, the stolen land or the deliberate and considered annihilation of their cultural practises, language and stories. Until we deal with our past, how can we look forward to our future? It’s like we’re sick and we’re not dealing with it, we are collectively in denial. Sadly, we currently have Tony Abbott as PM who is straight out of the 1950s in every respect, and the alternative is not much better. I am concerned for Australia, but I am also hopeful because the people around me have fantastic politics. Australia is an incredibly diverse and strong multicultural country and Aboriginal and Torres Straight islander culture is still strong today. Our audience love lists so please, your five favourite songs. This is impossible for me, but randomly out of my head. 1. Joga – Bjork 2. De Trei Ani Nu Dau Pe-Acasa Dona Dumitru Siminica 3. Feed The Horse – Faggot Fairies 4. Cloud Busting – Kate Bush 5. Lola – The Kinks Your five favourite films: 1. Spirited Away 2. Paris Is Burning 3. Women On The Verge Of A Nervous Breakdown 4. Pan’s Labyrinth 5. Hedwig and The Angry Inch

Your five favourite Books: 1. Dance Dance Dance – Haruki Murakami 2. The Red Tree – Shaun Tan 3. Winnie The Pooh – AA Milne 4. Just Kids – Patti Smith 5. Cunt: A Declaration Of Independence – Inga Muscio You have a pocket full of cash and a free day to do anything you want. What are you going to do? Eat breakfast and lunch and dinner out, walk in nature, get a massage, and have a hot bath, watch a movie, read a book and sleep lots. You are appearing at the Auckland International Cabaret Festival in September. Please tell us about your show, Between The Cracks, and what the audience can expect from Yana Alana. Yana is my alter ego, bouffant, drag diva creation who was born from experimental queer nights in the heart of Melbourne. She began as an angry spoken word poet and lip-syncer and transformed into an allsinging, dancing, diva poet, who lives somewhere between cabaret, performance art and

drag. Inspired by my desire to challenge and provoke the status quo and shake the apathy out of the middle class, mixed with my driving passion to make people laugh, I combined the two and I think the politics of my shows are like a nice glass of wine on the side of a cheese platter. The cheese being the politics, which can leave a bad taste in your mouth if wine isn’t handy to wash it down. Between The Cracks explores my own personal journey with mental health and identity, filtered through Yana Alana. My dysfunctions and fears are blown up, exaggerated and made fun of. Yana wears nothing but a slick of blue paint and this makes her vulnerable and very human. This show tells the audience, they are not alone with their dysfunction and difference. We’re all in it together!

* YANA ALANA PERFORMS BETWEEN THE CRACKS AS PART OF THE AUCKLAND INTERNATIONAL CABARET SEASON, FRIDAY 4 SEPTEMBER 6PM & SATURDAY 5 SEPTEMBER, 10PM. FOR MORE VISIT AUCKLANDLIVE.CO.NZ/ CABARET2015

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ATTRACTION GUIDE

NIGHT FRIGHTS 2 CLIST CRESCENT, MANUKAU AUCKLAND SUN 26 SEP

LUMINARIUM EXXOPOLIS AOTEA SQUARE, QUEEN ST, AUCKLAND CBD AUCKLAND THU 24 SEP – SUN 11 OCT

Night Frights at Rainbow’s End, eh? Get ready to experience the pirate ship, the corkscrew, the log flume - but in the dark. Basically, it’s everything you love about the normal daytime Rainbow’s End, but it’s nighttime, so go and mack that crush on the Gold Rush without anyone noticing. With a Halloween theme (honest – when will people realise it’s not a thing here?) surely there’ll be a few ex-X Factor contestants there to scare you. If anything, this is the perfect time for teenagers to run free, high on cotton candy, weed and love.

Hey, you! Over here. If you’re looking for something a bit luminous, a bit eccentric, and a bit twisted this October school holidays (but not a Suzanne Paul infomercial) then your prayers are answered – it’s Luminarium EXXOPOLIS! For over two decades, these dazzling inflatable sculptures, all lit by natural light, have astounded audiences around the world. Completely interactive and surreal, walk through kaleidoscopic tunnels and turrets, gaze at the colourful domes and let the kids run wild in the Imagination Playground. Also including Jared Fell and APO, this will be a ripper of a day for the whole damn fam.

TE PAPA

AUCKLAND ZOO

55 CABLE STREET

MOTIONS ROAD

WELLINGTON

AUCKLAND

Te Papa Museum is the beating heart of our capital city’s culturally rich identity, and now the amazing Gallipoli exhibition, The Scale Of Our War, is on display for free. It includes startlingly life-like recreations of war in every minute, gruesome detail. Also on now and ready for the kids to get involved in is DeClassified – Nature’s Secrets Exposed.

Auckland Zoo - it’s similar to Hamilton Zoo, but with fewer cows. (Note: may have just been a paddock). Everything at AK’s animal house is entertaining and awesome, right down to the chimp scratching his nuts, cos that’s nature, dog. With a new interactive learning centre amongst the attractions, take it in and check it all out.

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AD Tuesday Night Double Feature

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KWEICHOW MOUTAI Moutai is to China as whiskey is to Scotland. Often called ‘the spirit of China’, this hearty tipple comes from the Guizhou province and is distilled 11 times before being set aside for a 5-year aging process. Made from grain (wheat and sorghum), the taste is somewhat akin to sake (warm earth) but with a more complex flavour profile (humic soil, clay, coffee, caramel and miso)… and a kick that’ll send you into the next dimension.

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GALBRAITH’S CZECH STYLE PILSNER

This low alcohol (2.5 percent) pale ale is being marketed as a ‘rock star with a day job’. Frankly, it’s an insult to the name it’s playing off, Sid Vicious, and so lacking in style and flavour that I cannot help but wonder what the point of it is.

I will not for a moment mask my admiration for this brewery. Everything I have tasted from Galbraith’s has surprised and delighted me, and Galbraith’s Czech style pilsner is no exception. The first sip is an avalanche of bitter hop notes underlined by intense malty textures and rose petal undertones. With each consecutive sip, the drinker is reminded just how good a Pilsner can taste when made in small batches and from the best ingredients. At $6 for a 500ml bottle, it’s a bargain.

-ANDREW JOHNSTONE

- ANDREW JOHNSTONE

MAC’S MID-VICIOUS

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THE CHURCH TOUR 2015 Thu 01 Oct St John’s Cathedral, Napier Fri 02 Oct Holy Trinity Church, Tauranga Sat 03 Oct Holy Trinity Cathedral, Auckland Sun 04 Oct St Mary’s @ Holy Trinity Cathedral, Auckland Mon 05 Oct Old St Paul’s Church, Wellington Tue 06 Oct Old St Paul’s Church, Wellington Thu 08 Oct St Michael & All Angels Church, Christchurch Fri 09 Oct The Cardboard Cathedral, Christchurch Sat 10 Oct Knox Church, Dunedin

E ATING

BURGER LIQUOR 129 WILLIS ST, WELLINGTON

Burger Liquor is a joint that mixes hip-hop music, beef burgers and soul food with a variety of alcoholic shakes and craft beers. I ordered the double beef and my companion the Caesar chicken, both of which arrived within 10 minutes. The meat was lean and cooked rare and had no a hint of the fatty aftertaste apparent in cheaper cuts of meat. The mayo, sauce and pickles were generous and the bun was light and fluffy. Not too big but definitely filling, it went down well with the hoppy, malty pale ale that was on this week’s guest tap. My companion demolished her Caesar, a light and moist fillet of chicken coated in a southern-styled crispy batter with bacon, cos lettuce, cheese and tomato. The curly fries and aioli were perfectly prepared, and finished off the main meal nicely. The desserts all had a vaguely American twist. We ordered bourbon battered pineapple rings, and gingernut ice cream. The former was cooked in a moreish donut batter accompanied by whipped cream, though sadly the bourbon flavour was lacking. The gingernut ice-cream sundae came dressed with peanut brittle praline and brandy snap tulle, and was triumphant. Burger Liquor is a grown-up venue with a distinctively blokey vibe, and with most burgers around costing $15 the prices are reasonable. Big ups to the friendly staff members who made us feel welcome with a respectful, laid-back efficiency. TIM GRUAR

TOP CAFÉ DUMPLING HOUSE 22A CROSS ST, AUCKLAND

On the far side of the Ironbank complex on Karangahape road in Auckland’s CBD is the Top Café Dumpling House. Owned and operated by ‘Frank’ Bo Feng, this eatery specialises in the dumpling style typical of Feng’s home city of Tiajin, a ‘small’ city of 7.5 million not far from Beijing. Feng came to NZ 17 years ago to study English and IT, and quickly fell in love with the place, citing ‘the beautiful natural environment and the friendly helpful people’ as the reason he stayed on. As his IT career progressed, his mind turned more and more to his mother’s dumplings, which he describes as ‘very flavoursome’. He tried dumplings at every establishment he discovered but none matched his memories, so he decided to start making them himself. The Top Café Dumpling House makes the dumplings from scratch and in the Tiajin style. At every table is a bottle of Chinese vinegar, soy sauce and chilli oil for dipping. The chilli oil, like the dumplings, is made by Feng and is extremely popular: so much so that he is preparing to bottle and sell it. Feng makes and sells some 800 dumplings a day. As each batch is made they are snap frozen and reheated as required. This means customers can take the frozen product home to eat at their leisure. What we ate: I ordered the egg and vegetable dumplings and my companion chose the pork and cabbage style. We also ordered the Chinese cucumber salad. The Price: $11 for 15 very substantial dumplings.

HUFFMAN’S HOT SAUCE Huffman’s Hot Sauce is made in, and named by, Wellington by Chef Nicolas Huffman. This aged hot sauce is made from chilli peppers, smoked Spanish paprika, vinegar, salt… and nothing else. The flavour is astonishing, and unlike more iconic brands such

as Tabasco and Crystal, whose predominant characteristic is heat bound up in vinegar, Huffman’s sauce is first and foremost a big bold pepper hit sitting on top of a nicely balanced vinegar tang. The Spanish paprika adds a ‘denseness’ to the flavour profile that sets this sauce apart from its competitors.

The cucumber was a Chinese variant, crisp and slightly sweet, and seasoned with sesame oil-based dressing. The result was like the dumplings, very moreish and with a complex range of flavours that tagged the taste buds perfectly. The dumplings were partially steamed and partially fried, firm and filled to capacity. Halfway through my plate I was full, and unlike my more considered dining companion who took the remainder of his dumplings home, I persevered and finished my plate. Frankly, they tasted so damned good I couldn’t stop eating. Top Café is eco-friendly. That is: the takeaway boxes are biodegradable and the plates are made from renewable plantation bamboo. Feng is a friendly and outgoing host and joyously enthusiastic about his product and his customers. This was my first time with dumplings and the experience was sensational.

ANDREW JOHNSTONE

RIPITUP.CO.NZ

WIRED THIS WAY Drinking With Vera Bucsu

KIWI SAUVIGNON BLANC ROCKED VERA BUCSU’S WORLD - ALL THE WAY FROM HUNGARY TO HAMILTON. Leaving everything behind for... say what? Hamilton?! What kind of crazy would want to leave the safety of her home country in the heart of Europe and move to the other side of the world and to settle down in, of all places, Hamilton, New Zealand. Well, me. Ten years ago I tried a Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc at a wine tasting in Hungary and everything changed. It blew me away so thoroughly that the next day I bought plane tickets and we changed countries. A couple of years later I met Kevin Judd, formerly Cloudy Bay’s chief winemaker, now with his own winery called Greywacke, and I told him that he once created a wine that changed my life forever. This is why I’m actually serious when I tell our customers to be careful when tasting extraordinary wines, as you never know where you might end up the following day. Although some adventurous wine drinkers insist that they’ve moved on and don’t drink Sauvignon Blanc any more, it remains the varietal that put New Zealand on the wine

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map, laying the foundation for the exceptional Pinots, Chardonnays, and Chenin Blancs that have followed. I have to admit that I hardly ever choose a Sauvignon Blanc myself anymore, but when I do, I really like Greywacke’s Wild Sauvignon. Being Kevin’s solo winemaking venture rather than a global brand such as Cloudy Bay, where he kind of had to tick all the boxes in order to appeal relatively safely to the most palates, Graywacke enables him to produce wine with more character and personality. This wonderful Sauvignon Blanc’s bouquet has the lushness of a lemon crème brûlée, with sweet vanillin notes infused with thyme and toasted sesame. The palate is generous and crammed with savoury complexity, resulting in a Sauvignon that is rich and creamy with a lingering chalky texture. Another thing that I love about this country is our can-do attitude and number-8 wire mentality. It’s a place where making an idea happen may not be much easier than elsewhere, but the ethos enables people to believe that it’s at least possible to try and, more to the point, discourages the belief that it’s impossible to try. Of course, fences around the paddock aren’t made of sausages, either, but as the extremely

successful brewery 8 Wired Brewing has shown, being willing to work toward a goal for a long period of time makes success possible. 8 Wired Brewing has found inspiration in the legendary Kiwi can-do mentality and, along with fellow craft brewers, have dared to challenge the masses and show us all that beer is no longer ‘just’ beer! Tall Poppy India Red Ale is of course named after that well-known social phenomenon in which the masses resent, attack, cut down, or criticise people of genuine merit because their talents or achievements make them stand out from said masses. This is an ale with the courage to stand tall among other great beers. Its intense, sharp, and fruity hoppiness is backed by its complex, caramel-like malty structure, making it big yet refreshing, bold but balanced. What I’ve learnt over the past ten years is that you bring yourself with you anywhere you go, and if you’re unhappy in your own skin you’ll never be happy. Still, I just feel extremely lucky that I’ve been able to live in a country that has repeated its winemaking success story with its craft-beer scene. She’ll be right – world class.

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