Music

No Future at The Historic Village

Writing about promotional (ad)ventures from Your Enabler Presents makes me think of a David Lynch movie. Blue Velvet, to be exact. He was once called Tauranga... Read More

Shirley Ryder - Keeping The Faith

There are all sorts of musical stories in Tauranga; Shirley Ryder's must be amongst the more unusual. Not long ago Shirley, a singer/songwriter who had released... Read More

Festivals, festivals, festivals

Who's the most popular band in the Bay this summer? It's a close run thing. What with Tauranga now being celebrated as Festival Central for New Zealand... Read More

So who likes the new Wharf Street?

There seems to be an increase of dissatisfaction in Tauranga these days; people are cross and getting crosser. Perhaps it's because this is an ever-expanding... Read More

Celebrating Shona

Fifty years is a long time to do anything - if you want to spend that length of time on something you need to start young. Luckily, Shona Laing did. Now a new... Read More

Eclectic January Touring

Many people I know switch off a bit at this time of year. While a lot of folk are now back at work and the beaches are becoming quieter, there are a bunch of... Read More

Start the year with a little blues

So we're now over a week into 2021. Hmmm... There was a vague sense that once we farewelled that savage Year Of Our Lord 2020 things would change. Unsurprisingly,... Read More

The Golden Turtle Awards for 2020

This is the last column of the year and it comes with traditions. There's a cocktail recipe coming up, and I'd like to offer a big swoop of the Bogie... Read More

The Mudcats are coming to town

We're taking next week off, so this'll be the last column before Christmas. Traditionally for this one I try to include a bunch of recommendations for... Read More

This is the place for Grant Haua

OK. Nearly Christmas. Footloose and Covid-free. This week I have three shows for you. First up a concert by the most excellent Grant Haua, who has spent nearly... Read More

Eclectic local music - pass it on

I have always thought of the Tauranga music scene as pretty middle-of-the-road. But perhaps I've been wrong. That struck me the other day as I prepared to... Read More

Irish songs and afrobeats - we‘re so lucky!

Is it wrong to keep patting ourselves on the back for being so lucky? After a while does it come across as hubris? I don't know. But I do know that the luck... Read More