:cheers:

FESTIVAL:

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Cathedral Square has been transformed into a fairground of arts attractions for the opening spectacle of the Christchurch Arts Festival 2007. The two-week festival was given a verbal thumbs-up by Prime Minister Helen Clark, who told the crowd she would happily pitch a tent in the Square for the two-week duration of events. Thousands milled in the Square to see the selection of installations, including artist Michel Tuffery's illuminated pod sculpture, a tour of a UFO and fireworks. Christchurch man Stephen Chadfield said he would like to see the city host more festivals.

"It's a wonderful investment of rates," he said. "They don't have enough festivals like this in Christchurch, and we do them pretty well." On their way to buy dinner at one of the food caravans, Annette and Kevin Broadhurst said they were having a great night and had bought tickets to four shows over the coming two weeks. Their only complaint was how difficult it was to see some of the acts through the crowds. Jenny Brown said the event made her feel like she belonged to a "privileged city". Friend Tony Morrell said the big crowds and lively atmosphere belied the city's staid reputation. Public installations are free but ticket-holders can watch acts in the Square's temporary club, the TelstraClear Club. The festival runs until August 12.

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^^^ WOW that looks awesome - has anybody been ?

Looks pretty cool!

Prime Minister Helen Clark, who told the crowd she would happily pitch a tent

Other than this disturbing mental image, this looks really cool!! Am jealous that I'm not there to go to it!

Other than this disturbing mental image, this looks really cool!! Am jealous that I'm not there to go to it!

LOL :lol:

^^^ WOW that looks awesome - has anybody been ?

It's a great two weeks! It has been growing steadly of the past decade and is now, I believe the 2nd largest ARTS Festival in NZ after the International Festival of the Arts in Wellington.

Good art, music and theatre for ALL tastes. A neat way to brighten up the dead of winter.

GO CHRISTCHURCH :banana:

^^^ WOW that looks awesome - has anybody been ?

oh yeah man, there's some funky stuff going down in central CHCH right now!

Long live Urbanity!

Say goodbye to your suburbs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is all brilliant for the redevelopment of the central city.

^^^ WOW that looks awesome - has anybody been ?


Not with a triffid on the loose!!!!!

oh yeah man, there's some funky stuff going down in central CHCH right now!

Long live Urbanity!

Say goodbye to your suburbs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Horray! I like your thinking man :cheers:

oh yeah man, there's some funky stuff going down in central CHCH right now!

Long live Urbanity!

Say goodbye to your suburbs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I agree mate - St Mary's Bay is even too far out of the city for us :lol:

NEWS:

GARDEN CITY GREATNESS:

From cute new boutiques to fabulous food, you will in love with Christchurch;

Sometimes having less money can make you richer in the long run. Case in point: Christchurch. In the 90s, when property developers ransacked Auckland’s CBD and turned most of it into hideous, cheap, shoebox apartments, this phenomenon didn’t really occur in the Garden City. There just wasn’t the same surge of cash, so old buildings remained standing, derelict but dignified. Now, the lucky Cantabrians are watching the restoration of their inner city, as attractive boutique developments are filled with fashion houses, eateries, galleries and bars. SOL (South of Lichfield) is the first, and by the looks of the ‘leased’ signs popping up on other buildings around the Lichfield Lanes area, there will be much more to come. Fashion houses are taking note too, with Starfish and Ruby both moving into the area in the next few months.

Chris Moore in Christchurch Arts Festival | 3:20 pm 3 August 2007

The end of the first week of the 2007 Arts Festival.

An appropriate time to reflect on this year’s festival, how far we’ve come in terms of arts festivals and New Zealanders’ overall reaction to the arts.

The most obvious thing is that as New Zealanders we’re longer embarrassed by the dread seven letter word, culture (with all its dire connotations, I’d ban it anyway.)

If the general reaction to the majority of events in Christchurch is any indication, most of us plunge into them with gusto and obvious enjoyment.

With box office figures on target or slightly above, Christchurch’s biennial arts festival is a firmly entrenched part of the South Island’s calendar.

It’s also an event with a distinctive South Island flavour - relaxed, informal and without any of the elitist twaddle which is so noticeable at similar events elsewhere.

Perhaps that’s how we do things in the South island.

One of the triumphs of the 2007 festival has been the decision to annex Cathedral Square as an integral part of the programme.:banana:

I’m aware of concerns about security but full marks to Mayor Garry Moore whom I understand finally persuaded (as only Garry can persuade) the festival organisers to make the move.

It was a brave step but one which has paid dividends.

It has given the event a beating heart and, more importantly, it has rejuvenated the Square with an injection of colour, sound and, most importantly, people in large numbers. Perhaps it should be a permanent fixture.

Another noticeable fact surrounding the 2007 programme has been the number of quality overseas artists visiting Christchurch. We are, it seems, finally on the international circuit.
My conversations with some of the visiting artists show that they like coming south to what is, in artistic terms, a relatively remote corner of the globe.

This is a festival, many tell me, where you can relax and stretch your artistic muscles with friendly but informed audiences.

One of the programmes best features is how the major international seasons have been carefully placed and paced to ensure that we don’t gorge ourselves to surfeit point during the first few days.

There’s an awareness of the need to carefully pace the programme to retain the public’s attention.

Capping off the festival next weekend with the marvellous, mysterious and visually stunning Aurelia’s Oratorio is very, very clever programming.

I LOVE THIS .... "We are, it seems, finally on the international circuit"

:lol: I LOVE THIS .... "We are, it seems, finally on the international circuit"

Great eh!!:lol: All part of CHC's and dear I say NZ coming of age? I think it is an emergance out of the "regionalist" mentality into a definite outlook onto the world.

I have found some good reviews of whats been going on this week - I'll post them over the weekend.

:) By PATRICK SHEPHERD - The Press | Friday, 27 July 2007

Fuerza, y Compas. Danza Cuba. Isaac Theatre Royal. July 26.

The 2007 Arts Festival burst into life on stage at the Theatre Royal with an energetic and passionate display from Danza Cuba.

This arts company of 18 women put every ounce of their being into this dazzling and heady display of flamenco, Latin and Caribbean.

A six-piece combo backed them with evocative singing, polyrhythmic percussion, moody Spanish guitar and jazz keyboard.

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The costuming was stunning, figure-hugging bodices and voluminous skirts that swirled and flowed, falling perfectly across the dancers' bodies as they pounded relentlessly through powerful and punishing routines, stamping, clapping and moving in perfect unison through their sets.

Their expressions flashed passion, fire, pride and excitement, often within a fleeting moment. We were left in no doubt as to how the show got its name –Strength and Beat.

The routines themselves were an eclectic mixture of the traditional and the modern, ranging from the haughty, proud flamenco to more fusion moves where you could spot ballet, modern dance, Afro-Caribbean and the Latin gestures all melding together.

Director and choreographer Lizt Alfonso certainly

utilised this boundless energy well but also came up with similarly gentle and reflective episodes.

The lighting was simple, generally a rich scarlet backdrop but that made the blue routine in Act Two all the more different, both stylistically and in terms of mood.

By DAVID SELL - The Press | Monday, 30 July 2007

The Oxfords in Christchurch, New Zealand, Jubilation I. Oliver Phillips and Oliver Loach, altos; Oliver Hamilton and Will Edwards, tenors; Richard Anderton and Andrew Shouler, bass; David McPhail, narrator; Diana, Lady Isaac, reader. Christ Church Cathedral, July 28.

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The annual visit of the Oxfords, six young men from the choir of Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford, England, is eagerly looked forward to. It is even better when it coincides with the Christchurch Arts Festival.

This was the first of three Saturday morning concerts, along with their involvement in Cathedral services during the four weeks of their stay here. Looking at their overall programme, the Oxfords have been busy indeed preparing a large and varied repertoire.

It would be hard to fault their singing. All unaccompanied, the features that go to make for excellence were all there – impeccable balance and pitch, lovely even tone quality and a fine feel of togetherness.

The programme was in three main parts, introduced with a processional hymn by Richard Pygott. This, and the first and last brackets were from the fine 16th century repertoire, and mostly with some connection with Christ Church College, Oxford. While the earlier parts were ecclesiastical, the last was more secular in nature.

The middle bracket of three 20th century pieces did not fit so comfortably into the overall programme. They were all very delicate, almost morbid, even though their inclusion could be justified by their Oxford connections.

This city's Anglican origin was highlighted in the choice of Charlotte Goldley's writings, read with dignity by Diana, Lady Isaac, and introduced by David McPhail. These were very interesting, even though the sound system was barely adequate.

For those whose concept of an arts festival includes events deeper than entertainment, the Jubilation concerts offer it all.

A serious demeanour, yes; stuffy, certainly not.

:banana:

By ALAN SCOTT - The Press | Monday, 30 July 2007

The Raft. By Carl Nixon. Directed by Stephanie McKellar-Smith. At Court Theatre. 7.30pm. From July 28.

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For the second Arts Festival in a row the Court Theatre has played a trump card, giving us an evocative and haunting, new New Zealand work that is rendered as marvellous theatre through outstanding production values.

Carl Nixon's story of a devastating family tragedy, and its appalling consequences on relationships, is strong and gripping and brings you, at times, close to tears. It works at both the real and metaphoric level, confronting its audience with a heightened emotionalism of both plot and writing. The ending has you on the edge of your seat.

Such emotionalism risks being overwrought, but what grounds The Raft is a fine display of the theatrical arts by everyone involved.

With its emphasis on water, the play must have seemed like a nightmare to stage, but Nigel Kerr has given the director, cast and technical team a dream of a set to work with.

And work they do. Stephanie McKellar-Smith's flawless direction, with its sensitive hold on mood and place, is greatly enhanced by electrical artistry from lighting designer Martyn Roberts and by lyrical, original music from Hamish Oliver.

The acting was fairly formidable, too. Claire Dougan brought a quality of complete believability to the role and a big speech by Yvonne Martin left the audience practically shaking.

Matt Wilson, as the distraught and unbalanced son, gave a finely nuanced performance, but it was John Bach, as the old fellow, who, in my opinion, took the honours, showing that talent when combined with experience is a hard combination to beat. The Raft is a very fine production.

By PATRICK SHEPHERD - The Press | Monday, 30 July 2007

The Mamaku Project. TelstraClear Club, Cathedral Square. July 28.

A few months ago I reviewed The Mamaku Project's CD, Karekare, and enjoyed its eclectic mix of French, Pasifika, ska, funk and reggae, with a liberal dash of Middle Eastern thrown in.

Visually, this Westies seven-piece has a look that equates to casbah-meets-op-shop and a sound which blends idiosyncratic vocals in an attractive multicultural weave with accordion, saxes, bass clarinet, piccolo trumpet, trombone, percussion and synthesizer.

Of course, this entailed a significant amount of swapping and doubling up which the brass section did seamlessly.

Throughout it all Tui Mamaki's sinuous voice, singing in both English and French, and tantric dance moves evoked exotic images and a very relaxed mood.

I guess with such a mix it was inevitable that stylistically, no matter how the songs started out, they might end up in fairly familiar territory and this proved to be the case. The omnipresent heavy backbeat was eminently danceable but very similar on the ear.

However, once the set warmed up there were plenty who took full advantage of the opportunity to dance the night away, bopping to the catchy grooves.

Going against organisers' wishes not to have dancing must have thrilled those with front-row seats but the beat was infectious and the ripping final numbers had to end in a knees-up.

The driving bass of Monsieur Escargot and the drumming of Simon Walker are at the centre of Mamaku's sound and neither let up, the versatile Mr E switching between bass and synth and Walker cooking up a storm in the finale on bongoes.

I particularly enjoyed John Ellis's soprano sax breaks and his fine bass clarinet playing. We had a wait before the trumpet really cut loose but when he did it was worth it.

By TIMOTHY JONES - The Press | Monday, 30 July 2007

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Christchurch Symphony, with Diedre Irons, Michael Houstoun and Maurice Till, pianos, conducted by Sir William Southgate at the Christchurch Town Hall, Saturday July 28 at 8pm.

This was music that would need no introduction, said festival director Guy Boyce.

With no apparent irony he then introduced the music, which was just as well, since our programme identified neither what was to be played nor who the orchestral players were.

The music was all Mozart. No bad thing, you may think, but remember that by no means every piece Mozart wrote was a masterpiece, and while the Prague Symphony and the Magic Flute undoubtedly are, the concertos for two and three pianos, while charming, simply are not. They are agreeable in a decorative kind of way and they received refined performances from three fine pianists.

But oh, how I would rather have heard Maurice Till accompanying, Michael Houstoun exploring late Beethoven and Diedre Irons belting out some beefy modern work I've never even heard of.

The performances were excellent, but squandered on relatively trivial material.

The orchestra had begun with a ragged overture to the Magic Flute, followed by six German dances – again pretty music that hardly seemed the stuff of gala festival openings.

Finally the Prague symphony, K504, was reached and at last Sir William and the orchestra had something to get their teeth into. Now there was a sense of architecture, of major ideas being brought together actually to say something significant.

By RACHAEL HAWKEY - The Press | Friday, 27 July 2007

PU Soul Me / Eddie Perfect at the TelstraClear Club, Cathedral Square on Thursday, July 26, at 7.15pm-9pm.

The city's newest venue swung into action last evening with the opening of the Christchurch Arts Festival and the TelstraClear Club.

Used at previous events, the impressive domed pavilion has been relocated a block to Cathedral Square this year, perhaps in an attempt to inject more life into the city's heart.

Time will determine the wisdom of this move, particularly in light of the incessant traffic noise that plagues the Square.

PU Soul Me opened the programme inside the pavilion with a programme of contemporary music flavoured with the Pacific. Essentially a guitar ensemble with vocals and percussion, the Pacific Underground orchestra basked in the moody numbers built from layered riffs overlaid with improvised fragments.

While the atmosphere was as laidback and unpretentious as a jam session, the music was tight and well-formulated, representing many hours of playing together.

Guest performers Ardijah brought the stage alive when they joined the group in a couple of funky renditions of 70s standards.

A different crowd and change of mood heralded Eddie Perfects Drink Pepsi Bitch. Not for the fainthearted, the R18 show was an intriguing mix of irreverently coarse humour, intelligent commentary on contemporary society and excellent music from Perfect and his three-piece band.

Perfect quickly won the crowd over.

By JANE BOLTON - The Press | Saturday, 28 July 2007

AdvertisementIf you enjoy a side-splitting laugh, don't miss Ennio Marchetto, a world-renowned Italian comedian who delights audiences with a theatrical language that mixes mime, dance and costumes made from cardboard and paper.

The prolific performer is in New Zealand for the first time, having performed his act, which includes 50 costume changes in one hour, in 70 countries for more than one million people.

Whether you are 15 or 50, Ennio's show has something for everyone. His act conjures up celebrities ranging from Eminem and Elvis Presley to Dolly Parton, Prince Charles, Madonna, Elton John, the Mona Lisa and Marilyn Monroe.

"My show appeals to every type of audience because there are so many different characters. Children love the costumes because it is a very visual show.

"There are two of us who make all the costumes. I now have more than 300 in my collection," Ennio says.

His latest creation is always his favourite at the time, but one that stands out from the crowd for him is Mona Lisa. "It's not a real character; it's more of a frame that I stick my head through. It's very funny."

While Ennio likes to include a local character in his show, he has not had the opportunity to produce one for the Arts Festival's performance. "But I promise that next time I come to New Zealand I will make sure I have someone local included," Ennio says.

The self-taught comedian began his professional career making costumes and masks for the Venice Carnival. He spent some years working in his father's espresso-machine repair shop in Venice, and it was expected that Ennio would continue the family tradition, but he had other plans.

"When I was working, I used to daydream a lot. Then one night I had a dream in which Marilyn Monroe appeared dressed in paper. I woke up the next morning and made a costume from paper for Marilyn, and that was the start of it all."

Growing up in the cultural city of Venice no doubt had a huge influence on Ennio's chosen profession, he says.

"If I had been brought up in Rome, I probably would have had a totally different life."

Other paper characters followed, and after a few years, he won a prize with his costumes in a local competition for new comedians and went on to appear on television and in cabarets. Since these early days, Ennio, now 47, has never looked back.

Hugely popular in Britain, Ennio has performed with the Spice Girls and Bryan Adams in the Royal Variety Show, and at the Edinburgh Festival.

Ennio Marchetto: Sat, Sun: James Hay Theatre, 7.30pm.

New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, conductor Pietari Inkinen, with Leila Josefowicz (violin). Town Hall. Reviewed by Patrick Shepherd.

The Press | Thursday, 26 July 2007

Finnish conductor Pietari Inkinen is the NZSO's new music director and, even though he takes up his appointment next January, he already demonstrates a masterful control of the orchestra coupled with that oh- so-important rapport.

Of course, being a Finn he also brought a wealth of understanding to the three Sibelius works, his directions cutting a swath with clarity and exactitude, drawing passionate playing from the orchestra.

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The sheer weight of Sibelius's fifth symphony places it among the best of the genre, its popularity never waning.

Inkinen's conducting was big-picture stuff, ensuring with sweeping gestures that the phrasing was full and extensive.

The playing was stunning, particularly from the horns which were always there, introducing dramatic edge, the occasional shadow and the final jubilation. Tempo changes were subtle and in the spirit of this organic work. The encore, Valse Triste, was a cooling sorbet to end proceedings.

En Saga shares many traits with its weightier counterparts and here again the gradations in mood and tempi were subtle.

The rippling arpeggio figure in the strings was well done and the lower strings created rich sonorities. The viola solo projected well and the protracted cymbal roll at the end was brilliantly controlled supporting the melancholic and haunting clarinet solo.

The orchestra continues to feature excellent young soloists making waves internationally and Canadian violinist Leila Josefowicz is just such a player. She made an impressive debut with the Mendelssohn concerto, firmly in the driving seat, virtually every note heard throughout the hall, showing panache as she ripped through bravura passages while really connecting with the music and audience. In the first movement she brought out the molto appassionato fully, not something I immediately associate with Mendelssohn or this work, and the slow movement was lyrical but unsentimental, the andante tempo direction never ambling.

The finale was suitably cheeky, the ensemble tight between soloist and orchestra.

Just some of the stuff that has been going on in the Arts Festival...

^^ All of these "festivals" are theoretically good for the city. BUT of the myriad of ones we do have there are very few which are actually truely unique standout and spectacular. The Arts and Buskers festival are the only 2 which I can think of off the top of my head, the rest IMO pretty damn mediocre.

The solution to a bored city is not to give its people boring festivals! Why not make something of it if you're going to do it then damn do it properly.

By PATRICK SHEPHERD - The Press | Monday, 6 August 2007

I Want to Dance Better at Parties. Gideon Obarzanek and Chunky Move. James Hay Theatre. August 3.

Wanting to dance better at parties is not something I've ever lost sleep over. On the rare occasions I've actually been at a party, I've usually been too plastered to care or remember how, or indeed if, I danced at all.

Maybe this is where I went wrong, and goes some way in explaining those ominous silences at the breakfast table the following morning.

Gideon Obarzanek's production showed me the error of my ways in an utterly fascinating and absorbing documentary dance study of yet another thing the modern male has to worry about. This production of I Want to Dance Better at Parties, lasting just over an hour, flew by and I would have gladly sat through it again.

Chunky Move is an energetic and inventive company of dancers based in Melbourne.

Obarzanek is director, choreographer and performer and in this production has brought together a thought-provoking mixture of live dance, commentary, electro-acoustic music and video imagery.

The five men talking candidly about their experiences with dance were first presented on screens behind the performers then in extrapolated dances.

The dancers, both men and women, were into the concept and the moves were perfectly drilled, the shapes they created heightening the meaning of the commentary. The man who had lost his wife but was now rediscovering relationships through a dance class was poignantly depicted.

The guy whose partner had left him was captured wonderfully in a useless flopping duo, lolling around the stage with listless energy, while the sequence depicting the boys press-ganged into dancing by older girls was done mainly to the commentary with sparse use of music by two dancers in synchronization. It was honest, it made me think, and I found myself wrapped up in it. Visually it was constantly shifting and reinventing itself – and as a commentary on the modern male psyche, it had a lot of worth.

The Press | Tuesday, 31 July 2007

CABARET

Ennio: starring Ennio Marchetto. James Hay Theatre, July 28 and 29. Reviewed by Alan Scott.

The audience gave Ennio Marchetto a rapturous ovation after his astonishing performance, and it was no wonder. Christchurch was lucky to see him, for here was a world-class performer who would bring the house down in any city you care to name.

With the facial trickery of a mime artist, the movements of a dancer and the sharp intelligence of the best comedians, he raced through an hour mimicking celebrities and changing costumes at an astounding rate.

The costumes, though, were made of cardboard and paper, so what you were seeing was not so much an impersonation but a cartoon version of the real thing.

He was always funny but often bitingly satirical. From Madonna to the Queen, from Freddie Mercury to Elton John, he mercilessly took the mickey. Somehow he even managed the Supremes, with three heads and six arms.

Ennio Marchetto has a wicked sense of humour, a supreme artist whose show was festival material of the highest quality.

By DAVID SELL - The Press | Monday, 6 August 2007

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Christchurch City Choir, with mezzo soprano Helen Medlyn, bass baritone Gary Relyea, and Christchurch Symphony, conducted by Brian Law. Town Hall auditorium, Saturday night, August 4.

There were battles, orgies and murders in the town hall on Saturday night as the City Choir and Christchurch Symphony gave emphatic accounts of two widely disparate works. Prokofiev's Alexander Nevsky drew its story from 13th century Russia, while Walton, in Belshazzar's Feast, looked to the Old Testament story of the wildly self-indulgent King of ancient Babylon.

Each work called for a big orchestra, choir and one soloist, and covered extreme emotions. The sheer weight of the orchestra, and of the respective composers' powerful music couldn't fail to impress. The choir was overpowered at times, but sang the demanding scores with assurance.

There are two musical highlights in Alexander Nevsky. In the climactic battle on the ice, the bizarre orchestral effects and sinister choral shouts ensured their impact. Helen Medlyn, in the lament that followed, was movingly eloquent, bringing out the bewildered grief as only a fine actor can do.

Belshazzar's Feast is much better known to Christchurch audiences, as Peter Barton described in his excellent account in the programme. The work has lost little of its emotive impact, even though much of its musical idiom is showing its age by now.

The more flowing sections, such as the ravishing By the Waters of Babylon, were beautifully sung. Much of the jazzy, barbaric and orgiastic music, however, needed more bite. I could identify individual players and sections of the orchestra who played with frenzied precision. But the fact that these stood out only served to highlight an overall lack of cohesion within the orchestra.

Gary Relyea had just the voice for the all-important baritone solo sections. However, the wonderful shopping list, and also the writing on the wall section would have benefited from a slower, sardonic approach.

17 January 2008

With year-on-year growth, the 15th World Buskers Festival in Christchurch starting this week is expected to bring in record levels of new money and visitors.

Last year the Buskers Festival attracted a quarter million to Christchurch's central city and generated $ 3.1 million to the economy.

The 2008 programme will feature 40 acts over 10 days, with many new acts joining the old favourites from Thursday night.

This year the Festival added new areas to cater for additional high-calibre acts from around the world. Victoria Square will offer more acrobat and circus type of acts including late nights shows.

"We expect it to be a bigger earner this year, especially since there is new content, a spectacular line-up and virtually non-stop performances in around Christchurch," says Jo Blair, Events Development Manager with the Christchurch City Council.

The Council is the major sponsor and facilitator of the Festival. Ms Blair says the Festival had increased its scope to directly contribute to Christchurch City’s growth strategy and had a synergistic relationship with the Council itself. Christchurch and Canterbury Tourism have also helped profile the event within the South Island to attract visitors to Christchurch.

After 15 years, the Buskers festival has developed a success formula, with rolling performances and increased number of venues. "It could be said that the event is now well and truly hard-wired for success", says Ms Blair.

The scope of co-ordinating the Festival and the number of international acts and visitors that they attract show that the City can step forward with full confidence into any major event, like the Ellerslie Flower Show which it recently acquired.

Ms Blair says the World Buskers Festival deeply reflected the City’s value – as a great place for fun, business and living. In 2006, residents voted it overwhelmingly their favourite event in Christchurch and the one that they saw as the most important to the city.

The estimated $3.1 million incurred in direct expenditure during the Festival not only gives us 10 days of unbridled fun; it adds hugely to our reputation as a destination city, a prime business centre and a particularly highly value lifestyle centre, she says.

Surveyed residents say they like the Festival because of the experience of sharing, its boost to the city image, its capacity to cater to a wide range of age groups and tastes and its accessibility (large number of venues around the city).

http://www.worldbuskersfestival.com/

:banana::crazy2::hahaha::clown::crazy::applause::naughty::cheer::hilarious:tyty::bowtie:

Christchurch Cabaret Festival
SCOOP - Tuesday, 26 February 2008, 10:05 am

Comedy, song, dance, political satire and theatre all presented in sultry atmosphere! The second Christchurch Cabaret Festival kicks off on June 18 offering 5 fabulous days and nights of entertainment at three different venues across the city. The only dedicated Cabaret Festival in New Zealand, it presents international and national acts in music, song, comedy and satire. Paris-born superstar of the smoky stage and widely feted in Europe, Caroline Nin has been described as “a modern day version of Edith Piaf” and “the Marlene Dietrich of the 21st century”.

Sequinned sex bomb Meow Meow from Australia wows international audiences with vamped-up kamikaze cabaret and cheeky, sexy dialogue. This is the first time either artist has appeared in New Zealand, and should not be missed. From New Zealand Besser and Bravura, featuring the irrepressible Jackie Clarke of When the Cat’s Been Spayed, bring a totally original repertoire mixing classical, jazz and klezmer. Christchurch offers two of its own celebrated chanteuses.

Naomi Ferguson sings a tribute to some of the best of the 20th century ranging from Joni Mitchell to Randy Newman, and Juliet Reynolds-Midgley performs a show in homage to the immortal Barbara Streisand. Melbourne musical comedy act Tripod, well known to New Zealand audiences from their appearances on the improv TV show SkitHOUSE, delight with their celebration of the world of the geeky male. Actor Peter Feeny offers up an evening with manic self-help guru Beau Tyler, a role he made famous in a series of TV commercials for Tip Top Memphis Meltdown.

Arthur Meek performs his controversially quirky one-man show On The Conditions and Possibilities of Helen Clark taking me as her Young Lover in which he plays Richard Meros, a mysterious essayist from Balclutha and product of the Rogernomics Era. Wellington will never be the same again. New Zealand’s Lonesome Buckwheats are a bickering family who do both kinds of music: country and western, and in a Kiwi accent to boot. Country music’s notorious underdogs revive their greatest hits and face their demons live on stage. Full programme available 1 May

Cabaret? Never been to anything like that before. For that very reason I might be tempted to go and check it out. Wonder what the crowd to one of those things is like?

Cabaret? Never been to anything like that before. For that very reason I might be tempted to go and check it out. Wonder what the crowd to one of those things is like?

go!! You'll love it...it's so seedy, sexy and lush........mmmmmmmmm

Cabaret? Never been to anything like that before. For that very reason I might be tempted to go and check it out. Wonder what the crowd to one of those things is like?

go!! You'll love it...it's so seedy, sexy and lush........mmmmmmmmm

So you posted twice. That means i really have to go then?

So you posted twice. That means i really have to go then?

:):lol:Ohhhh yes - go!

Double post was my eagerness :nuts:

:):lol:Ohhhh yes - go!

Double post was my eagerness :nuts:

Davee and Hubby were the ones that caused the Earthquake in the UK the other Day :lol::banana::lol:

Davee and Hubby were the ones that caused the Earthquake in the UK the other Day :lol::banana::lol:

:banana::banana::banana::banana: and that messured on 5 only the scale....:lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:


All the Brits seem so excited about having an earthquake - don't know why???? I was the only person in the country not to feel it...........

I'll go for Hunters and Collectors.

you should give him your phone number

my shops are the Linwood 2nd hand shops, I cant get enough of that second hand vibe:)

you should give him your phone number
If I fell flat on my face, I'd no longer feel willing to set foot in that store again – something I don't want to risk.

It is not a store which is in Christchurch at the moment. It won't be long before it is. Tarocash, they are a menswear store which sell smart/casual clothes. It is Australian and they have stores in the North Island and over here in Australia. There clothes are not overly expensive. They are very stylish, the slickest menswear shop I have ever been in. I just can't wait to go in there again.:banana::)

Yep, that Munns girl. She's gone now, oh well.... I cant find anybody good enough to help me pick good jeans now.


Where do I buy my stuff? If Im going to be honest the last clothes I bought were from Farmers. It was grey Canterbury track pants and a blue Slazenger top. I wore them yesterday washing my car.

Normally though I dont really buy any clothes in Christchurch. I probably should support the downtown economy but I usually end up buying my threads whenever Im away. Ive discovered shopping is a good way to work of jetlag or as a distraction from work. You end up buying the worse, most hideous expensive crap that really didnt look that great on Oxford or Pitt Streets let alone translate well back in CHCH.

If I fell flat on my face, I'd no longer feel willing to set foot in that store again – something I don't want to risk.

I think its worth the risk and he might give you a go! you dont have anything to lose, Im not the type to get embarrassed like that, I would march back in no matter what

Im the only second hand budget freak here!:bowtie:

Rock on....

Southern AMP 08 (http://undertheradar.co.nz/utr/more/NID/960/Southern_Amp_08_is_coming.utr)

Southern Amp 08 is coming
Date Published: 24th July, 2008 @ 14:39


Southern Amp is returning with a stella lineup including The Dandy Warhols, the Living End,Die! Die! Die!, Dimmer and a swarm of others, all congregating onto CHCH this November.


Southern Amp shifts up a gear for 2008… The third staging of the South Island’s biggest music festival takes place on Sunday 9th November at Westpac Arena Festival Park in Christchurch from 12.30pm. Southern Amp is bringing in more international acts than ever before and each of the 3 stages this year will be completely UNDERCOVER making the event a ‘weather-free’ festival with a strictly limited capacity!

The festival site is being specially designed and will be built around the existing Westpac Arena to comprise 3 fully-covered live music stages, more great thrill rides, a separate buskers’ stage, market stalls, loads of other stuff to do and plenty of bars & food outlets. Southern Amp 2008 is R15 restricted and will be held once again at the start of NZ Cup & Show Week, the busiest week on the Canterbury calendar.

The Main Stage will be inside the Westpac Arena with a mix of International, Australian & NZ rock acts; the Ministry Of Sound Stage will be in a huge mega-marquee outside the Arena featuring the best of Australasia’s current dance talent and a third NZ Music Stage in a big top circus tent will be presenting some of NZ & Christchurch’s best live bands.

Earlybird Tickets
As with previous years the 1st release of tickets will be a LIMITED EARLYBIRD SPECIAL at just $79.50 (excl booking fees) exclusive to Southern Amp database members, Vodafone Music subscribers and Speight’s Mates database members. This is the SAME PRICE as last year’s Earlybird tickets which sold out in less than 2 weeks. A special password will be required to purchase Earlybird tickets and this will be sent out to all database members separately. These tickets will be strictly limited to FOUR tickets per person and will only be on sale through TICKETEK (either online, by phone or at any Ticketek Outlet) from 9am Monday 28th July.

For all details visit - www.southernamp.co.nz


SOUTHERN AMP 2008 LINE-UP – first announcement

It has been more than 10 years since The Living End released their breakout double-A sided single “Second Solution”/“Prisoner of Society” – with many hit songs, gold & platinum albums, sold-out shows, festival headlining appearances, world tours and thousands of satisfied punters in between. The Melbourne trio’s 5th studio album “White Noise” is released 19th July and is kicked off with the powerhouse new single “How Do We Know”. As a live act, the band’s reputation around the world is unquestioned – on a great night there is barely a band on the planet that can touch them! The band returns to NZ for their 2nd appearance at Southern Amp 2008. We are STOKED to have them back!

The Dandy Warhols need little introduction but pose, if not an actual threat, then at least a series of pressing questions; Where do they come from? What drives them? And perhaps most of all, what do they want with us…? Returning to NZ for their first live appearance since Big Day Out 2004 equipped with a brand new album “Earth To The Dandy Warhols” on their own brand new record label might help answer some of those questions for the band from Portland, Oregon who have given us a swag of psych-pop hits over the last decade-plus. One of the few bands in the music business whose name constantly means ‘quality’ and ‘unpredictability’, with no questions asked!

Do you believe in fate? The Potbelleez certainly do! From being a couple of Irish tourists landing in Sydney, Australia in 2001/2 with not much more than a record bag to their name, Dave Goode and Jonny Sonic have become the hottest property in the Australian dance scene. If recent form is anything to go by, with “Don’t Hold Back” being the biggest dance hit of the year on both sides of the Tasman, all sorts of awards and being snapped up by Ministry Of Sound to mix the recent “Sessions” CD, the sky now seems the limit! With their full 4-piece live set up seen for the first time in NZ, The Potbelleez will close out the Ministry of Sound Stage at Southern Amp 2008.

Artist, Producer, Engineer Tiki spent the previous twelve years playing to the world as frontman for one of NZ’s most successful live exports, Salmonella Dub. Doubling as an audio engineer for some of the country’s finest acts as well, including Shapeshifter, Tiki’s unique gift for taking music into an innovative new realm has finally and totally deservedly resulted in a highly successful solo album “Past Present Future” in 2008 and a #1 single with “Always On My Mind”. Southern Amp pays much respect to Tiki’s achievements this year and looks forward to his captivating Acoustic/MC/DJ set on the Ministry of Sound stage.

Testament was one of the first thrash metal bands to emerge from the San Francisco Bay Area in the 1980's. Their powerful sound made them one of the All-Time Top 5 Metal Bands in the company of Slayer, Metallica, Megadeth & Anthrax. In 2007 the original line-up got together again to record “The Formation of Damnation” winning the 2008 ‘Metal Hammer Golden Gods’ Award and achieving their highest charting album in USA in their 24-year history. Testament are currently touring USA with Judas Priest & Motorhead playing some of the biggest metal shows in the world this year. They attack Southern Amp 2008 for their FIRST EVER & ONLY NZ live performance.

Gyroscope have nailed it on their third album, “Breed Obsession” with the four best friends from Perth Australia pushing far beyond the infectious and intelligent pop-rock of their breakthrough 2006 album “Are You Involved?” From the standout piano-driven first single ‘Snakeskin’, to the intricate electronica-tinged ‘1981’ and personal, anthemic ‘Australia’, the band’s 3rd album’s beauty is in its subtlety and complexity. Gyroscope are making strong waves on Kiwi radio and make their first NZ festival appearance at Southern Amp 2008.

The Jordan Luck Band, featuring front man and pop-writing genius of one of NZ’s iconic and legendary bands The Exponents, has clocked up a staggering 18 Top 40 singles over the years, with “Victoria” recently being voted by the public as one of the top 10 greatest NZ songs of all time. Today you’ll hear 20,000 rugby fans singing in unison to “Why Does Love Do This To Me?” ‘Legend’ is a word suffering from unwarranted overuse syndrome these days, but its original intention is 100% intact when describing the affection the Kiwi public has for Jordan’s songs.

Goodwill is not only one of Sydney’s finest DJ’s over the last 10 years, but also one of Australia’s! In recent years his production credits, including ‘Happenis’, ‘Go Away Baby’ & ‘Outta Control’, have made him Ministry Of Sound’s highest selling Australian artist and a producer in demand, resulting in him mixing the recent MOS “Sessions Five” CD with The Potbelleez. Goodwill returns to Southern Amp for the 2nd year running this year and is a DJ well worth checking out!

Autozamm are carving out quite a niche as one of this country’s fine live acts having supported Powderfinger, Shihad, Silverchair and The Black Crowes recently. The release of their 2nd album “Drama Queen” in March has seen them return to the live stage with a new sense of high energy and their latest single ‘Closer To Home’ is fast becoming a major hit on NZ radio.

Concord Dawn have been making major waves in the world of electronic music for many years, dubbed the “NZ pioneers of Drum & Bass” and have released their distinctive sound on some of the world’s most distinctive dance labels and earned a fearsome reputation for their live performances from extensive touring around the world. They return to the Ministry of Sound Stage this year.

With a couple albums and plenty of gigs, Little Bushman give the feeling they’ve finally got a foot in the door. After some excellent NZ festival appearances over summer and a recent concert with the 40-piece Auckland Philharmonic Orchestra, Australia beckons later in the year.

Dimmer featuring the enigmatic Shayne Carter rose from the ashes of Straitjacket Fits some time last century... their first album "I Believe You Are A Star" was released in 2001 on Flying Nun which the NZ Herald made their album of the year. With a brand new album currently being recorded, Dimmer will play their only South Island show this year at Southern Amp.

Die! Die! Die! are worthy of their Russ Meyer–like name… Hailing from Dunedin and having toured the world over, this sickeningly tight power-trio have little patience for pop concessions! Abrasive and bare-bones, the band makes a lot out of a little… the result is mind-numbingly satisfying!

Hailing from Wellington, Fur Patrol are now two thirds Melbourne residents and one third back in Wellington again! With two albums, one producing a huge NZ #1 single, and two EPs to date in Australasia since forming in 1996, the new album, “Local Kid”, is due for release later this year.

Its been a major year for Goodnight Nurse, their hit single ‘The Night’ was played non-stop on radio and their 2nd studio album “Keep Me On Your Side” debuted at #5 – They’ve won MTV Video Awards and their MySpace profile is the most prolific in NZ, with over 2 million song plays to date! The success of State of Mind a drum and bass duo, both abroad and in NZ has been recognised over the last few years, where they have achieved a host nominations and were awarded the 2006 BNet Breakthrough Artist of the Year and Single of the Year for ‘Aces High’ with Concord Dawn.

The Valves are one of the South’s success stories of the last year. A huge live resume now boasts support slots to Bon Jovi, Ozzy Osbourne and Whitesnake plus literally loads of their own gigs. This tight kick-ass rock band deserves their slot on any major festival and we’re glad to have them back.

Pitch Black have pumped their way through NZ’s electronic music scene since their inaugural performance at the Gathering New Year's eve festival in 1997 and have spent the last 10 years rousing dance floor punters, generating rave reviews and gaining fans across the world.

The Exiles seemingly came from nowhere when their debut single ‘The One’ became the first independent NZ track to reach Top 30 on radio play and digital sales alone. Their Big Day Out appearance this year caught attention of The Herald who judged them the band with “Best Attitude”

More announcements on the NZ Music Stage will follow in the next few weeks.

Southern Amp 2008 - It’s gonna be a huge day, we’ll see you there.

^^ about time we had a respectable music festival. Can't wait for the second announcement! Everyone is talking about this. I hope to go

Canterbury the place to be, says ASB scoreboard

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5:00AM Monday August 25, 2008

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Auckland needs an energy injection and Canterbury wins gold as the place to be, says the regional economic scoreboard compiled by ASB. The scoreboard takes the latest quarterly regional statistic and ranks the economic performance of New Zealand's 16 regional council areas. Auckland scored a rating of two from a possible five stars :ohno: - five being hot and one being not. It reported the highest population growth of any region (1.7 per cent, bringing the population to 1.4 million) and employment growth of 3 per cent, but was let down by slumping retail trade, house prices, construction and new car sales. Tightening purse strings have seen Aucklanders change commuting habits and reduce retail spending (down 1.5 per cent for the year).

But the report says there are some signs to spur optimism it is still difficult to find a park at Sylvia Park, non-residential building consents are rising and work is underway at Eden Park. Wellington and Taranaki scored three stars - "fair to middling"- but the rest of the North Island, including Waikato, Hawkes Bay, Bay of Plenty and Northland, with Auckland on two stars - "needs an energy injection". Wellington was insulated from the economic cycle because it housed central government, the report said. While employment, house prices, construction and new car sales were also down in the capital, it boasted a 5 per cent growth in retail spending.

Waikato had suffered from the drought, consumer confidence was down and retail spending had declined 3 per cent over the year. Canterbury, which scored four stars - "be there or be square"- reported the strongest employment growth in the country (up 7 per cent) and healthy retail trade. House prices, residential construction, and car registrations also fared better. The nation scored five stars - "steaming" - for wages, which continue to grow strongly. It took four stars for employment, which was flat in the first half of the year, with low, though rising, unemployment. The nation's house prices, retail, car registrations and construction scored one star "sad".

Thats if he isn't Blinded by those Cute French Boys :lol:

Thats if he isn't Blinded by those Cute French Boys :lol:

She should know by now to cover the eyes before it blows :lol: ... that stinging "sensation" lasts forever - OUCH !

She should know by now to cover the eyes before it blows :lol: ... that stinging "sensation" lasts forever - OUCH !

Opppppps - I forgot princess............................:nuts::lol:

Thats if he isn't Blinded by those Cute French Boys :lol:

I can't see..................................:banana::)

When we were passing through UK immigration in France on Sunday, the lady said to me, why aren't you living in CHC? I said because my life is over here now, but I love the place still - very, very much and we hope to go back ONE day. She then told us that she and her boyfriend were moving to CHC to live once they got married next year.

They live in Canterbury, and couldn't get over the similarities between Canterbury UK and Christchurch NZ - the city forefathers did well............:banana:

What do you think the single biggest thing to do to get people living and working in the central city?

We always hear that to make Christchurch better we need more people living in the centre of town, to make it more urban. How do we do this tho? We are told that to get more people living in town we need more cafes, bars, people spaces and more people. But to get that we need to have more people living in town.

Should the council subsidise central city projects, perhaps by making the rates cheaper or give grants to buy property in town? Perhaps higher rates for new large scale developments outside of town? These both have some pretty big costs, but would they work? Would more people live/work in town if it was more economical to, or would the developers just keep the money?

What do you guys think is the best way to get more people in town, both living and working?

First thing I would do is build the Conservatorium in the city rather than send it back out into the suburbs - bad move :(

First thing I would do is build the Conservatorium in the city rather than send it back out into the suburbs - bad move :(

And the second thing?

And the second thing?

Then get really nifty student accomadation that would not be come slum like, something where the general population could mix in with the student life both day and night.

Really develop the lane area that could become a arty farty centre with not only the Conservatorium but art studios, galleries, sculpture parks etc - really practical working areas that would be creative both in a commercial and performance way.

I'm just thinking off the top of my head here..........:banana:

First thing I would do is build the Conservatorium in the city rather than send it back out into the suburbs - bad move :(

Oh Davee, I know you're passionate about that building but I think you are seriously over estimating the effect that would have had on getting people to live in the city center... :wink2:

I agree Frew there should be some kind of incentive to develop residential & commercial property in the Aves, that enormous new 'Business Park' at the start of Lincoln road is a good example, the office space there could have supported a 35 storey building in the CBD, the council is just not doing enough to support central city development, they are basically talking complete shit when they say they want another 22,000 or so people living in the CBD in the next 20 years when they are doing sweet fuck all to actually support this happening. There certianly needs to be low - mid range priced high density housing which there is an enormous lack of at the moment. I know plenty of young people who would love to live in the city, but financially it's just not possible for most people.

I agree Frew there should be some kind of incentive to develop residential & commercial property in the Aves, that enormous new 'Business Park' at the start of Lincoln road is a good example, the office space there could have supported a 35 storey building in the CBD, the council is just not doing enough to support central city development, they are basically talking complete shit when they say they want another 22,000 or so people living in the CBD in the next 20 years when they are doing sweet fuck all to actually support this happening. There certianly needs to be low - mid range priced high density housing which there is an enormous lack of at the moment. I know plenty of young people who would love to live in the city, but financially it's just not possible for most people.

Absolutley agree with your thinking Cartel

Oh Davee, I know you're passionate about that building but I think you are seriously over estimating the effect that would have had on getting people to live in the city center... :wink2:

Your right Cartel - I just love music so much - it is the greatest of the Muses...........without music all that we are and know is just nothing....I so believe that something like the Conservatorium gives a kudos, a standing that puts you just one step in front of others. It goes a million miles to providing substance to the being, both the individual and the collective. It would be part of the new beating heart that would be a revitalised central city.

I'm a hopeless romantic........and what is the world without romance? I dread to think ;)

This project would only be part of many other plans and ideas for the city centre - but I believe it's a major one. Yes, much, much more needs to be done to get people permanately in the city centre, living and making it hum :)

When I walk past "Fridge Freezer Icebox", I think "Hmmm...Am I cool enough to go in there? I'm not cool to the power of three. I'd better not."

[DOUBLE POST]

The Press

Earthquake-weary Christchurch residents have flocked to the city's library and art gallery in record numbers.

The Christchurch Central Library and Christchurch Art Gallery briefly closed after the September 4 quake, but both have been busy since.

The gallery had its biggest month in December, while city libraries last week reported their single biggest day of books issued.

Representatives of both organisations said people were looking for a safe haven after the trauma of the quake and aftershocks.

Art gallery director Jenny Harper said 2010 was the gallery's biggest year, with 525,774 visitors, while 29,840 people – another record – visited last week.

December's figure of 76,739 surpassed the previous monthly record of 70,239 in July 2003, she said.

The Ron Mueck exhibition was a major drawcard, with 42 per cent of all gallery visitors paying to see the lifelike exhibits, she said.

Improvements to the upstairs exhibitions had also proved popular, she said.

The gallery acted as the city's initial civil defence headquarters immediately after the quake and was closed to the public for nearly two weeks.

Harper said the gallery had 500,000 visitors for the first time last year. The previous record year was 2009, when 464,701 people visited. "They are extremely impressive numbers ..."

She said the Mueck exhibition was expected to pass the 100,000-visitor mark this weekend. It was already the most popular paid exhibition in the gallery's history. The exhibition will run until January 23.

The city libraries were overwhelmed on January 5, when a record daily number of 41,783 titles were issued.

Christchurch City Libraries content manager Ann Ready said 7118 books were issued at the central library.

I'm off to Ron Mueck tomorrow! Seems good!

I'm off to Ron Mueck tomorrow! Seems good!

Let us know what you think!

Indictable you will love it! I was blown away!

Oh god! I was too! What an intriguing and interesting exhibit! My little brother just help his breath when he saw the first sculpture!

I loved the 'Two Old Ladies'..

^^^ Brilliant!

We are going to the exhibition on the 22nd of Jan - can't wait to be back in Christchurch again :colgate:

Well weather is stunning down here, so hope you're in for a treat!

A record 100,000 visitors have seen Ron Mueck’s life-like sculptures at Christchurch Art Gallery since the exhibition opened in October.

The milestone was reached today, with six-year-old Henry King the proud recipient of a signed Ron Mueck catalogue. Ron Mueck is now believed to be the most popular paid-entry exhibition by a living artist to be held in New Zealand.

Director Jenny Harper says the Gallery is thrilled so many people have visited the exhibition. “We were delighted when the exhibition last month became the most popular pay-to-view exhibition to be held in Christchurch since a public art gallery first opened here. For it to become the most popular paid-entry exhibiton by a living artist ever to show in this country just a few weeks later is another fantastic achievement.”

Ron Mueck closes at 5pm on Sunday 23 January. To give as many people as possible the opportunity to see the exhibition, the Gallery will open from 9.30am-9pm from Wednesday 19 January to Friday 21 January. On Saturday 22 January, the night before the exhibition closes, the Gallery will remain open until midnight.

As a special thank you to Christchurch for supporting the exhibition, up to two children are also able to visit Ron Mueck free of charge with a paying adult until the exhibition closes.

Adult tickets cost $15 but for groups of 10 adults or more, tickets are $12. Tickets are available from eventfinder.co.nz, the Gallery and i-Site information centre in Cathedral Square.

Christchurch is the only New Zealand venue to host the National Gallery of Victoria touring exhibition.

Ron Mueck will be at Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetu until 23 January.

I loved the work of Mueck, but i think they show very few pieces. Anyway, ill go again because the first time I forgot my camera.

Well weather is stunning down here, so hope you're in for a treat!
You jinxed it. Edit: OK, it's not so bad.

When people on here say they're come to Chch, I always think "I hope it behaves" (the weather). No place makes a good impression with a grey sky.

Awwww, c'mon seen the forcast for the next week? Pretty dece!

The weather was not too bad - sunny on Saturday and overcast/sunny/overcast on Sunday. The exhibition was well worth the wait in line which was about 200 people deep when we got there. When we realised the queue was just to purchase tickets and there was no queue to get into the gallery, we bought tickets online with the iPad and went straight in.

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One of the reasons I gave up eating chicken 6 months ago, and have now nearly given up on red meat...

You'd be proud of me Luka!! And I'm feeling better on it.

Great pictures Mr KF :)