NZ | Music + Concerts + Festivals + Exhibitions

[Mr_kiwi_fruit]

KELIS: Shaking City Hall



A song like Milkshake was a rarity in the bog-standard world of modern day pop music. With its futuristic, tinpot beats and cheeky and staunch lines like "my milkshake brings all the boys to the yard", it was catchy as well as innovative. Nearly eight years on, Kelis is still proud of what the song, and follow-up Trick Me, achieved. "I changed music with those records," she says. "I changed the way females saw themselves. When Milkshake came out there was nothing else like it. And if you look at the five, six, seven years after, it completely made everything else detour. "I don't want to say that it was just me, but that era and time for me was so monumental because it really did change how female artists portrayed themselves and how their beats sounded, and how they talked on records. I think that's awesome, being a part of something that was really powerful, and Trick Me was just a continuation of that."

She was last in New Zealand in 2004 with a full band - around the time she was at her peak after Milkshake - and jokes that this time round, when she plays Splore-City tomorrow night, she will be bringing a "DJ symphony". That might sound a little budget but it is in keeping with her latest, dance-floor-focused album Flesh Tone, which features banging French house mogul David Guetta, along with the likes of Benny Benassi and Diplo. It's an oonst-driven dance pop fun fest. "I had no grand mission statement. I just wanted to make something that feels good," she says. However the late 2000s were anything but fun times for Kelis. Since her last album, Kelis Was Here in 2006, she has been arrested for disorderly conduct in Miami (she was later cleared of all charges) and in 2009 she filed for divorce from rapper Nas, who she married four years earlier. She was pregnant with their son Knight at the time.

Today on the phone from Kelis' home in Los Angeles, Knight is grumbling and squawking in the background as his mother chats in her laid-back, almost lethargic way. "He's grumpy today," she laughs. She says when Knight came along he helped inspire her passion for music again after years of being disillusioned with her art, losing her motivation to write, and struggling to find meaning in what she was doing. "[Having a baby] is the epitome of life, it's fun and exciting, and I'm happy in my life, I feel really blessed, so to me it's just about what feels good and about making this [music] fun again. "So I enjoy the music that I'm making now, I make my own schedule and I think having a child gives you a reason to work hard, whereas before it was like, 'why am I doing this?'."

She's quick to point out that while "being a mum is the best job I have" she's still her own person - and she loves making music too. "I think it's really important to keep your own identity, because it is really easy to get swallowed up and pulled in every direction. For me, just sticking to what I know has been the best thing I could have done." Kelis started out singing in church in Harlem, then left home to further her education and pursue a music career in her late teens. In the late-90s she hooked up with Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo of the Neptunes, who produced her beautifully crafted R&B-hip-hop debut, Kaleidoscope. Years later they would also produce Milkshake for her. Of course, Kaleidoscope, and songs like Caught Out There (remember her recurring line, "I hate you so much right now"?), started turning pop, R&B, and dance music inside out well before Milkshake.

And musically and creatively, Kelis feels she's come full circle these days. "When you start off in the business you have a really naive mentality and you really don't know what the business has in store for you. And then as you go on you become jaded and bitter," she laughs. "You know? When it's no longer a love and it becomes a job. "But now I think for me it's gone back to being not so much about the business as it is about loving what I do again - and wanting my child to see what I do."

LOWDOWN

Who: Kelis

Where & when:
Splore-City, Auckland Town Hall, Friday, playing 10.20pm

Albums:
Kaleidoscope (1999); Wanderland (2001); Tasty (2003); Kelis Was Here (2006); Flesh Tone (2010)

[Mr_kiwi_fruit]

WALKING WITH DINOSAURS| Presented by: The Creature Production Company



Dinosaurs will once again roam the earth in a spectacular theatrical arena show, which commences its New Zealand season June 2011 at Vector Arena. Walking with Dinosaurs - The Arena Spectacular, based on the award-winning BBC Television series will see real size dinosaurs come to life in what promises to be one of the most exciting and groundbreaking shows ever seen in New Zealand. Watch 20 life-sized dinosaurs, including Tyrannosaurus Rex, rule the Earth again! Be amazed and thrilled as the greatest creatures ever to walk the planet dazzle you in this NZ$25 million production, set to captivate young and old alike. See them walk. Hear the roar. Be there as they fight for survival and supremacy.

From the ripple of their skin to the glint in their eye, you will know the dinosaurs really have returned! So make sure you have your seat to see the return of the dinosaurs! Walking with Dinosaurs – The Arena Spectacular is brought to New Zealand byThe Creature Production Company, an Australian Company, headed by CEO Carmen Pavlovic, in association with BBC Worldwide.Pavlovic said, “The BBC series was a brilliant blend of special effects, escapism, excitement and information. Our show brings together all of that, plus something extra - it’s live! In this production, 20 roaring, snarling “live” dinosaurs mesmerise the audience – and are as awe-inspiring as when they first walked on earth.”

For more information, please visit www.dinosaurlive.com

[Mr_kiwi_fruit]

CHINESE LANTERN FESTIVAL in Auckland
18 to 20 FEB 2011

image hosted on flickr


Bring all the family to celebrate the Chinese New Year of the Rabbit in Albert Park, amidst hundreds of beautiful feature lanterns specially imported from China. Browse dozens of delicious food stalls and picnic on the grass. Non-stop entertainment will include magical rod puppets from Sichuan, a jazz band from Shanghai, and rockband Askar Grey Wolf from China's far western Xinjiang province, fresh from a successful tour of Australia. The 12th Auckland Lantern Festival is brought to you by Asia New Zealand Foundation and Auckland Council, with principal sponsor HSBC.

[Mr_kiwi_fruit]

Taylor Swift Bringing Speak Now Tour to Vector - 16 MARCH 2012





bSTREET 2011 - 27 AUGUST 2011

[Mr_kiwi_fruit]

JOE - The Good, The Bad & The Sexy Tour - 15 SEPTEMBER 2011




New Zealand Fashion Week 2011 - 29 AUGUST to 03 SEPTEMBER 2011

[Mr_kiwi_fruit]

How to Train Your Dragon Arena Spectacular Coming to Vector - 01 APRIL 2012

[Mr_kiwi_fruit]

Taste of New Zealand - 19 to 22 OCTOBER 2011




The AQUA Experience - Now till 24 OCTOBER 2011

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World of Wearable Art (WOW) - 25 AUGUST to 10 SEPTEMBER 2011




Cirque du Soleil | Saltimbanco - 25 AUGUST to 04 SEPTEMBER 2011

[Mr_kiwi_fruit]

MELISSA ETHERIDGE Announces Auckland show date



Fans will experience an evening of over two hours of Melissa’s extensive catalogue. The Frontier Touring Company is proud to announce that Oscar® and Grammy award-winning singer-songwriter MELISSA ETHERIDGE is returning to New Zealand and Australia for a very special July 2012 live tour.

Fans will experience an intimate evening of over two hours of powerful performances from Melissa’s extensive catalogue of hits when she returns for her first Australian appearances since 1996. The tour will kick off in New Zealand in July 2012 and will continue on to Australia.

The singer’s honest and confessional song writing style paired with her bluesy rock-infused vocals has seen her rise to the top of the musical spectrum since the her 1988 debut album Melissa Etheridge, which is certified triple platinum in Australia and double platinum in New Zealand.

Fan favourites such as ‘Bring Me Some Water’, ‘No Souvenirs’and ‘Ain't It Heavy’, for which she won her first Grammy for Best Female Rock Vocal, are amongst many of the songs that make Etheridge one of rock music’s most exciting performers.

Fans can rejoice at the news that the one and only Melissa Etheridge is returning to our shores for a series of electric and inspirational shows. Don’t miss a chance to see the legendary performer live in your city.

[Mr_kiwi_fruit]

Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons



Vector Arena is proud to host the only Auckland show of a classic pop icon as Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons hit our shores for the first time in more than 20 years next April.

Frankie Valli has had a career in music that is nothing short of amazing. He started singing in the 1950s and has never looked back, along the way racking up multiple hits both as a solo artist and with The Four Seasons. With the 2005 release of Jersey Boys, the Tony-winning musical that chronicles his life and music, a whole new generation of fans has discovered this master showman and hitmaker. Jersey Boys is also coming to NZ in April, so catching Frankie himself live before or after seeing the musical will surely make for a fantastic double-act for his legions of fans.

Frankie and The Four Seasons have had 71 chart hits in the US including 40 in the Top 40, 19 in the Top 10 and eight reaching No.1. Frankie has toured almost constantly since 1992 and his songs have been featured in such movies as The Deer Hunter, Dirty Dancing,Mrs.Doubtfire, and Conspiracy Theory, not to mention being heard on the small screen in The Sopranos, where Frankie also guest starred as mobster Rusty Millio in Seasons 5 and 6.

Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons. will perform all their greatest hits on this tour, including the likes of “Sherry”, “Let’s Hang On”, “Bye Bye Baby (Baby Goodbye)”, “Big Girls Don’t Cry”, “Walk Like a Man”, “Rag Doll”, “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You”, “Working My Way Back to You” and many more.

[Mr_kiwi_fruit]

ON SALE NOW - HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON Spectacular



Global Creatures, the technical masterminds behind the phenomenon “Walking With Dinosaurs – The Arena Spectacular”, and DreamWorks Theatricals are bringing high-flying, fire-breathing dragons to life in an unparalleled live entertainment event for a worldwide audience. The How to Train Your Dragon Arena Spectacular is an epic arena adventure inspired by the Academy Award nominated DreamWorks Animation film, How to Train Your Dragon.

In the How to Train Your Dragon Arena Spectacular, audiences across the globe will have the unique opportunity to experience the world of How to Train Your Dragon in a one-of-a-kind, live theatrical event that promises to break every rule of traditional arena entertainment. In this state-of-the-art production, fire-breathing dragons will soar overhead, immersing audiences in a magical and mythical world of Vikings and Dragons.

The astonishing cast of characters features 24 Dragons, some with wingspans of up to 14 metres, Viking warriors and villagers as well as world-class circus and acrobatic performers. The arena spectacular will feature unrivalled production values, projections, flying, stunts, circus performers, fire and pyrotechnics. In one of the largest theatrical arena productions ever to go on tour, the How to Train Your Dragon Arena Spectacular will require a phenomenal 40 semi-trailers to transport the production whilst on the road around the world.

[Mr_kiwi_fruit]

RYAN ADAMS announces NZ dates



Don't miss Ryan Adams, when he performs his first ever NZ solo tour in March. Following the celebrated release of his new album Ashes & Fire, The Frontier Touring Company are delighted to announce that RYAN ADAMS will be performing a series of intimate one-man theatre shows across Australia and New Zealand in 2012. This will be Ryan’s first ever solo tour of the region, having toured here previously with backing band The Cardinals; and if the start of his US tour dates this month were any indication, fans are about to be rewarded in kind for their patience and unwavering loyalty: "If you have the opportunity to see Ryan Adams in action--do not pass go, do not collect $200, just buy that ticket and experience a once in a lifetime show." - Seattlest.

[Mr_kiwi_fruit]

LAMB OF GOD Announce Auckland Show



The first of our fall-out from Soundwave 2012 has been announced with long-serving US metallers Lamb of God returning to NZ in March. They will be joined by The Black Dahlia Murder and Unearth playing at The Studio in Auckland. Metal began in the clubs, and it is to this environment which these three luminaries of relentless heaviness return, under the roof of inner city Auckland's recently enlarged and redeveloped Studio on Karangahape Road. With such an up-close and intimate setting, tickets for this show will not last long - miss out on this unique riff and beer drenched opportunity at your peril.

[Mr_kiwi_fruit]

Symphony at the Movies with MICHAEL PARKINSON



Arguably the world's most loved TV talk-show host, Michael Parkinson, brings a touch of true celebrity to the stage when he teams up with the Auckland Philharmonia orchestra in a tribute to music in the movies for one very special night on February 15, 2012 at Auckland's Vector Arena.

Sharing his love of the silver screen and the stars that make it shine, Parky adds his own unique brand of wit, charm and banter to the line-up of music from film classics.

This is a rare opportunity, not only to see the king of talk-show live on stage, but also to re-visit the music that has made us laugh, cry and swoon from movies like Casablanca, Ben-Hur, The Magnificent Seven, Mission Impossible,
The Godfather and many more.

While the APO will hold the audience captive with the music by composers such as John Williams, Lalo Schifrin and Henry Mancini, Parky will have them entranced with memories and stories about his interviews with the stars of these classic movies.

[Mr_kiwi_fruit]

INCUBUS announce Auckland concert date



Multi-platinum Californian-based alt/funk rockers Incubus will play in Akl this summer. Multi-platinum Californian-based alt/funk rockers Incubus will head Down Under this summer to deliver two shows, in support of their seventh and latest album ‘If Not Now, When?’. Since forming in 1991, Incubus have accumulated worldwide album sales exceeding 13 million through their double decade-long rise to the top. Tickets go on sale Monday 31 October at 9am from ticketmaster.

[Mr_kiwi_fruit]

SISTERS OF MERCY



Don’t miss the band make history when they play their very first NZ show. “Be advised that the Sisters are going on tour again. We will behave very badly. We will wear some very loud shirts. We will wear some very wrong trousers. We will perform some very legendary rock music. It’s what we do.”

Take these words as a warning – 30 years after The Sisters of Mercy premiered their dense soundscapes in their spiritual home of Leeds, the band is finally coming to New Zealand, playing one show only on Wednesday 22nd February 2012.

For three decades The Sisters of Mercy have operated according to a self-written manual, unbeholden to record company demands or narrow genre descriptions – don’t miss the band make history when they play their very first New Zealand show in February.

[Mr_kiwi_fruit]

2012 AUCKLAND SEAFOOD FESTIVAL



This year’s festival is set to be the best yet!. Held over the three days off Anniversary Weekend, this is New Zealand’s ultimate seafood celebration. The 2012 Auckland Seafood Festival will be held at Wynyard Quarter. This vibrant addition to the waterfront is not only big enough to house our ever-expanding festival, it’s great location in the BIG little city is handy for parking, public transport and accommodation. And of course it has some amazing views across the Waitemata Harbour.

All in all, it’s a pretty great place to enjoy some of New Zealand’s best seafood. There are over 100 varieties of seafood in NZ, and more than 40 different species will be on offer at the festival! All in all you can enjoy over 90 dishes including crayfish, paua, mussel, oysters, scampi, whelks and of course many different varieties of fish. Add to that all day music, loads of entertainment & competitions plus a great selection of NZ wine and beer. Hard to beat!

The Seafood School returns again with cooking classes from top chefs every day, open to all visitors with no additional charge. And for 2012 we introduce a Top Seafood Chef challenge for lucky audience members. New this year is our 'Dine on Dockside' area featuring six great restaurants, our popular Oyster & Champagne Tent and much much more that we will reveal as we lead up to the event. General admission tickets will be $20 at the gate but until 31 December 2011 tickets are just $15 online at Eventfinder. No booking fees, delivery or courier charges.

[Mr_kiwi_fruit]

ROXETTE



Roxette are coming to New Zealand for the first time to play one concert. In a show set to be one of THE live events of the new 2012 year, Live Nation is proud to announce Roxette are coming to New Zealand for the first time to play one concert only at Auckland’s Vector Arena on Saturday 11 February.

With hits including The Look, It Must Have Been Love, Joyride, Listen To Your Heart, Dangerous, Sleeping In My Car and Dressed For Success, Roxette have had plenty of NZ chart action over the years. The 1989 single The Look made it all the way to the top spot, followed by It Must Have Been Love (from the Pretty Woman film soundtrack) in the number 2 spot in 1990 and Joyride at number 3 in 1991.

Formed in the late 80’s and with 33 chart-busting singles, record sales exceeding 75 million, more number one and top 10 hits in America than ABBA and their very own Swedish postage stamp, Marie Fredriksson and Per Gessle’s pop duo Roxette earned a place in history as one of the most successful bands to come out of Sweden.

[Mr_kiwi_fruit]

2011 SANTA PARADE

image hosted on flickr

Santa Parade by craigsydnz, on Flickr

For 77 years the Farmers Santa Parade has brought joy to the children of Auckland and this year is no exception. The Auckland Christmas parade features all the amazing pageantry, fun and surprises that have made this annual Auckland City extravaganza a perennial favourite. Heralding the start of the Christmas season, this beloved holiday parade features colourful grand floats representing the cultural diversity of today’s Auckland, lively marching bands, amazing character balloons, plus an appearance by Santa Claus! Brand new floats, new characters and a host of A-list celebrities will help us celebrate this year’s Parade.

Parade Route:

The 2.2 km Parade Route starts in Mayoral Drive, turns left into Queen Street, travels down Queen Street and left again into Customs Street West then up Albert Street, ending at Albert and Wellesley Streets.

Pre-Parade entertainment, product sampling and giveaways will begin from 1pm and all the action of the Farmers Santa Parade begins at 2pm.

[Mr_kiwi_fruit]

SEETHER Announce Auckland Show



Seether will play at the Studio in Auckland on Friday February 10. Los Angles based post-grunge alt-metal outfit Seether is heading back to New Zealand. The band has spent the past two months touring as one of the headline acts on the Uproar Festival alongside Avenged Sevenfold, Three Days Grace, Bullet For My Valentine and Escape The Fate amongst other acts. The past year has been a big one for the trio. Upon its release in May, album Holding Onto Strings Better Left To Fray got to No. 2 on the USBillboard Chart, No.1 on the US Rock Chart, No. 1 on the Alternative Chart and No. 1 on the Hard Rock Chart. It debuted in NZ at No. 6. A single off the album Country Song is the most played rock record in the States in 2011. Seether will play at the Studio in Auckland on Friday February 10.