I sometimes get messages from parents, enthusiastic about their children's music. Contrary to what you might immediately assume, these almost always prove... Read More

Last weekend I went to the Trinity Wharf Hotel launch of a big, bold and beautiful new book. ‘Paperboy Writer', by Tommy Kapai Wilson, is a lavishly-illustrated... Read More

Around 1980, I quit Southampton University and upped sticks for New Zealand, an uninformed decision fuelled by bad drugs and hubris. I spent my last night... Read More

Labour weekend already? The year is rushing to a close. Only a week until an American election. The world is on a knife edge. We finally learn whether being... Read More

One thing to know about jamming and open mic nights: in Tauranga and the Mount they mostly happen on Wednesdays. Mostly. So, I donned my Secret Squirrel hat... Read More

October on the music scene? Let me describe it in three words: busy, busy, busy. Three? That's how many gigs I wanted to mention happening next Saturday alone.... Read More

This week was for October gigs - there are a lot. But Kris Kristofferson died, so let's take a minute. I've been listening to Kris since I was a teenager,... Read More

This column doesn't really do nostalgia: there's always something more important. But I like a warm wallow as much as anyone so, just for this week,... Read More

I'll start with a new single from a reasonably new band. No Reply are a nine-piece spread between the Mount, Pāpāmoa, Hairini, Matua, and Ōtūmoetai. With... Read More

There's all sorts of new music emerging. Let's cut to the chase... The album everyone's talking about, with good reason, is Tami Neilson's new one. Tami... Read More

Fiona Cosgrove's new album, Introspective has been out for more than a month. Actually, the delay has been deliberate: I've been waiting for it to appear... Read More

I often wonder about people reading this column. That's you, obviously. Mainly I wonder what you want to read about? Today the plan is to revisit Loserpalooza,... Read More