Sarah Spicer

I don't have a lot of connective tissue for this week's column.

But what I've got are many interesting and eclectic gigs, which have nothing to tie them together other than that they're happening here in the Bay. So excuse the upcoming shortage of segues, let's just hoe in...

First up, let's have a quick look at this weekend, when there's a really cool-sounding showcase happening at Totara Street, MauaoPAC's performance venue at the Mount.

This Sunday, July 8 there's a free concert arranged jointly by Totara Street and The Station 105.4FM. This is a culmination of a series of shows at The Station, which is housed on Devonport Road at the back of record shop/cafe Vinyl Destination. The shop is pretty well sign-written so you're unlikely to miss it.

The shows comprised various school bands and were held as Sunday Sessions at the radio station, the final one being last Sunday morning which featured three bands from Year 7-8 from Papamoa College.

A selection of these school acts will be putting on a full concert highlighting the Sunday Session bands from term two. The final line-up has yet to be, er, finalised but French Doors from Otumoetai College, Fletcher Oxford from Tauranga Boys' College, Tenneille Anne from Katikati and Three Quarters Late from Bethlehem are definitely confirmed, alongside Jovi, Emily Ardern and Good Stuff.

This is all-ages of course and will be supervised.

If you want to see Tauranga's rock stars of tomorrow, this is the place to go. Doors 4pm, show 4.30pm.

Vinyl destination

There's been a lot happening at Vinyl Destination and I'm pleased to report that the Corben Simpson/Maurice Greer gig there went off without the world ending. Next Saturday, July 14 Waihi singer Sarah Spicer will be performing. Sarah has had an interesting musical life, including living and playing in San Francisco during the 90s. She's a terrific singer and should suit the intimate setting.

A couple of days before that there's something a lot more left-field at the Historic Village. In The People's Gallery, one of several performing spaces that is part of The Incubator, there will be a visit from eccentric Australian Stephen Taberner. The show is called ‘Stephen Taberner with Double Bass... and Jack'.

I really don't know where to start with Stephen.

His website puts it this way: 'Stephen is pretty much just your average Melbourne-based singing/song writing/double bass playing choir leader with a passion for keyboards, drum kit, pygmy jam sessions, flash mobs, and pointlessly grandiose male singing projects.”

A cappella

His last tour of New Zealand (earlier this year), which sadly didn't get to Tauranga, was with the Spooky Men's Chorale, a dozen or so genre-bending a cappella singers described as 'a captivating combination of Visigothic bravado, absurdist humour and eye-moistening tenderness.”

I have absolutely no idea what he'll do live with a double bass (and Jack).

What I can tell you is that Jack is also a member of the chorale, that they promise a 'highly charming collection of songs, some moody, some funky, and some downright ridiculous”, and that the bass is called Beatrice.

That's on Thursday, July 12. Doors 7pm, show 7.30pm, tickets $15 on the door.

Also next weekend, Swiss-Kiwi electro-folk raconteur Andre Manella, who goes under the moniker Sonic Delusion, is in town for a brief series of gigs.

Calling his music 'Too funky for folk and too folky for funk” Andre will be breaking out his well-worn loop pedal to do that looping thang by spontaneously creating layers of rhythm, tone and vocals.

You can catch him at The Mount's Rising Tide on Friday, July 13 at 6.30pm, Our Place on Willow Street on Saturday, July 14 at 6.30pm, and playing an afternoon gig at Croucher Basecamp on The Strand, 2pm on Sunday, July 15. All free.

I should also mention that bluesman Mike Garner has returned from globe-hopping and is getting back to work. You can catch him this Sunday, July 8 at Croucher Basecamp with percussionist Warren Houston, and next Sunday at Jack Dusty's, 2pm and 3pm respectively, again no charge.