NZ | Music + Concerts + Festivals + Exhibitions

[SYDNEY]

Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards 2012: The winners

Kiwi songbird Kimbra and rock and electronic act Six60 dominated at the Tuis tonight, winning many of the top New Zealand Music Awards. Here's the complete list of winners:

Album of The Year

Winner: Kimbra - Vows

Other finalists:

Home Brew - Home Brew

Opossom - Electric Hawaii

Six60 - Six60

The Adults - The Adults

Single of The Year

Winner: Six60 - Don't Forget Your Roots

Other finalists:

Annah Mac - Girl in Stilettos

Gin Wigmore - Black Sheep

Kimbra - Warrior

The Adults - Nothing To Lose

Best Group

Winner: Six60 - Six60

Other finalists:

Home Brew - Home Brew

Opossom - Electric Hawaii

Best Male Solo Artist

Winner: Unknown Mortal Orchestra - Unknown Mortal Orchestra

Other finalists:

Bulletproof - Dub Me Crazy

Seth Haapu - Seth Haapu

Best Female Solo Artist

Winner: Kimbra - Vows

Other finalists:

Gin Wigmore - Gravel & Wine

Ladyhawke - Anxiety

Breakthrough Artist of The Year

Winner: Kimbra - Vows

Other finalists:

Annah Mac - Little Stranger

Home Brew - Home Brew

Best Rock Album

Winner: The Checks - Deadly Summer Sway

Other finalists:

Clap Clap Riot - Counting Spins

Head Like a Hole - Blood Will Out

Best Pop Album

Winner: Kimbra - Vows

Other finalists:

Bic Runga - Belle

Gin Wigmore - Gravel & Wine

Best Alternative Album

Winner: Opossom - Electric Hawaii

Other finalists:

Ladyhawke - Anxiety

Unknown Mortal Orchestra - Unknown Mortal Orchestra

Best Urban / Hip Hop Album

Winner: Home Brew - Home Brew

Other finalists:

Adeaze - Rise & Shine

Savage - Mayhem & Miracles

Best Roots Album

Winner: The Black Seeds - Dust And Dirt

Other finalists:

Hollie Smith - Hollie Smith & Mara TK Band of Brothers Vol.1

Tomorrow People - ONE

Best Electronica Album

Winner: Concord Dawn - Air Chrysalis

Other finalists:

Bulletproof - Dub Me Crazy

Six60 - Six60

Best Music Video

Winner: Special Problems - The Sun (The Naked and Famous)

Other finalists:

Special Problems - Take a Picture (David Dallas)

Special Problems - My Calculator (Zowie)

Best Maori Album

Winner: Ria Hall - Ria Hall

Other finalists:

Upper Hutt Posse - Declaration of Resistance

Whirimako Black and Richard Nunns - Te More

Best Gospel/Christian Album

Winner: Parachute Band - Matins:Vespers

Other finalists:

Rapture Ruckus - Open Your Eyes

The Ember Days - Emergency

Best Classical Album

Winner: Christopher Blake - Angel at Ahipara

Other finalists:

Anthony Ritchie and The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra - A Bugle Will Do

Eve de Castro-Robinson - Releasing the Angel

Vodafone People's Choice Award

Winner: Six60

Finalists:

Gin Wigmore

Kimbra

Home Brew

Stan Walker

Highest Selling NZ Single

Six60 - Don't Forget Your Roots

Highest Selling NZ Album

Six60 - Six60

NZ on Air Radio Airplay Record of the Year

Six60 - Don't Forget Your Roots

International Achievement Awards

Kimbra

The Naked and Famous

New Zealand Herald Legacy Award

Toy Love

WINNERS OF TECHNICAL AWARDS:

Best Album Cover to Angela Keoghan for Dearly Departed (Bannerman)

MAINZ Best Engineer to Neil Baldock for Me & Moon (Lydia Cole)

MAINZ Best Producer to Kody Nielson for Belle (Bic Runga)

2012 CRITICS' CHOICE PRIZE:

Winner: Watercolours

Finalists:

Beach Pigs

Loui the ZU

[SYDNEY]

Bonnie Raitt to play four shows

Nine-time Grammy Award winner Bonnie Raitt will return to New Zealand to play four shows early next year. On the back of the release of her 19th album, Slipstream, the guitarist, singer and songwriter will play shows in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Hamilton in her first tour here since 2007. Raitt is a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee and has sold tens of millions of albums worldwide. Her music has also been rediscovered by a younger audience recently, with Adele releasing a cover of I Can’t Make You Love Me, and Bon Iver performing a medley of her songs during a TV performance. Earlier this year, Rolling Stone magazine named Raitt as one of only two women in their list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists. “I’m as excited about playing these songs on the road as I was in the studio,” Raitt said. “[They have] reignited the passion I’ve always had for music and reinforced that connection I have with my band and how much I was born to do this. I’m as excited about this tour as I was the time I had my first album.”

Bonnie Raitt New Zealand Tour

April 5 – CBS Arena, Christchurch (part of the NZ Jazz and Blues Festival)
April 7 – Ascension Wine Estate, Matakana
April 10 – TSB Arena, Wellington
April 12 – Claudelands Arena, Hamilton

[SYDNEY]

Laneway Festival line-up grows

The Laneway Festival is going to get even bigger as organisers prepare to name six new acts joining the line-up. At 9am every Monday for the next five weeks, a new artist will be announced - in total there are five international acts and one local performer to be added to the festival scheduled for Auckland Anniversary Day in January. The first new addition is Norwegian band Kings of Convenience. It will be the first time the band has played in New Zealand. Kings of Convenience join the likes of Bat for Lashes, Yeasayer, The Phoenix Foundation and Lawrence Arabia, who have already been confirmed for the one-day festival. Newly crowned Mercury Prize winners Alt-J will also perform. The Laneway Festival started in the back streets of Melbourne and first crossed the Tasman in 2010. Since then it has taken place in three Auckland locations - Britomart, Aotea Square and its new home, Wynyard Quarter.

LANEWAY FESTIVAL

WHEN: January 28

WHERE: Silo Park, Wynyard Quarter

[SYDNEY]

Top NZ Acts Announced for Gisborne Music Festival

Gisborne roots music festival East Coast Vibes have announced that iconic poly-funk band Ardijah; #1 selling reggae band Tomorrow People; and NZ chart topper Maisey Rika will take the stage at the festival in February. "I’m excited that we’ve secured Ardijah, Tomorrow People and Maisey at this busy time in the year,” says Festival Director Rob Coe-Tipene of Tolaga Bay. The full lineup includes reggae heavyweights Katchafire; roots band of Cornerstone Roots; the rich and soulful tones of Ria Hall; R&B sensation Pieter T; talented roots / rock / reggae fusion band Sons of Zion; Ex- pat kiwi roots band now based in Australia, Darky Roots; one of the country’s powerhouse funk voices Bella Kalolo; the smooth vocals of Chad Chambers; and the rock reggae fusion sound of Wellington band Vintage. “These are respected artists in the music scene and their presence brings the festival to another level.” He says. The festival is to be held at Gisborne’s Outdoor Theatre on Midway beach on Waitangi weekend, Saturday 9th Feb 2013. Organisers expect a relaxed atmosphere, with a lineup bands artists and DJs that encapsulate the East Coast’s laid back vibe. $65 (+ booking fee) tickets are available from Ticket Direct, local accommodation options and festival information can all be found at

[SYDNEY]

Major performances of Mozart, Beethoven and Mahler here soon

Auckland Arts Festival offers some treats next year

[SYDNEY]

Neil Young & Crazy Horse

Recent whispers about a Neil Young and Crazy Horse World Tour have proven accurate - and a date has finally been announced. The March 2013 show promise to showcase both new material from their recently released album Psychedelic Pill (out now through Warner) and the classic hits that helped make Neil Young a household name. Without a doubt the critical acclaim surrounding the tour dates so far illustrates just how Neil Young continues to pull massive crowds five decades into his impressive career. Don't miss out on seeing Neil Young with Crazy Horse live in concert this March 2013.

[SYDNEY]

Cross-post from Auckland news thread ...

War Horse coming to Auckland

War Horse, the six-time Tony Award winning stage show, will gallop its way into Auckland next year. The hit production from The National Theatre of Great Britain and the creators of Walking With Dinosaurs will run for four weeks at the ASB Theatre from the end of August next year. The show, based on the book by Michael Morpugo, and later adapted by Steven Spielberg for a Hollywood blockbuster, tells the story of Joey, the beloved horse of a boy called Albert, who is sold to the cavalry at the outbreak of WWI. Having a real horse play the central character would be a challenge, so instead Joey is played by a life-sized puppet created by South Africa's Handspring Puppet Company. Joey - operated by three puppeteers who stand inside and next to the animal - breathes, walks, bucks and listens. Associate puppetry director Finn Caldwell said five years on from the show's premiere, he is still in awe of the creature every time it steps on stage. "I still get butterflies every time I see him." Caldwell, who started out as a puppeteer in the show, said he had been surprised by its success, which has included two Laurence Olivier Awards as well as the Tony Awards, but believed it was a story audiences could connect with. "We never tried to build a blockbuster. Every time the show leaps to somewhere new, we are all amazed. When we made the show back in England, we said we would be pleased if people even liked it. "It was such a risk; you have a horse as a central character, who doesn't talk, he isn't a metaphor for a human being, and who is a puppet. It's a really big ask for the audience. I guess it was just a big experiment and we are very pleased that is has gone the way that it has." The show, with a local cast of more than 30 performers, will begin in Auckland after a three-city tour of Australia.

[SYDNEY]

Black Sabbath announce NZ show

Garbage announce two NZ shows

Irish popstars team up for NZ show

Village People

[SYDNEY]

Cross-post from Auckland News Thread ...

Stone Roses coming to Auckland

They may have broken up in 1996, but The Stone Roses will play one New Zealand show next year. The legendary UK band will play their first show on Kiwi soil at Auckland's Vector Arena on February 26. Led by Ian Brown, the band released their self-titled debut in 1989, an album widely considered by critics as one of the greatest in history. The Stone Roses changed the sound of British pop in the early 1990s, until their split 16 years ago. They reformed earlier this year, entering the record books for the fastest selling rock concert in UK history - their comeback Manchester shows sold 220,000 tickets in 68 minutes. The New Zealand show will see the band's original line-up of Brown, John Squire, Mani and Reni together for their New Zealand debut.

The Stone Roses

WHERE: Vector Arena, Auckland

WHEN: February 26, 2013

[SYDNEY]

Kiwi songstress Kimbra wins ARIA for second time

Kiwi songstress Kimbra has won the Australian Record Industry Association (ARIA) award for Best Female Artist for a second consecutive year, moments after wowing the audience with a performance of her hit Settle Down in Sydney last night. The Hamilton-born, Melbourne-based 22-year-old beat bookmaker's favourite Missy Higgins, indigenous star Jessica Mauboy, Lanie Lane and Megan Washington to claim one of the most sought after accolades. She was presented with the award by British comedian Russell Brand, after his mother read out the winner's name while accompanying him on stage. "What a whirlwind year it's been and what an amazing way to top it off, to be acknowledged for this record I started making in Melbourne at 17,'' Kimbra said. "I want to thank all the fans out there that came to see me play back in those days," she said, before paying tribute to her management, band and record company. Kimbra came to prominence at the annual celebration of Australian music last year when she collaborated with Goyte on the hugely successful single Somebody That I Used To Know. Gotye, also known as Wally de Backer, won four ARIAS including Best Pop Release for "Making Mirrors" - Kimbra was nominated in the same category for the title track of her album "Vows". He also won the Best Live Act, Best Male Artist and Album of the Year ("Making Mirrors") to cap a command performance. Retaining the best female artist award continued a memorable 12 months for Kimbra, who has toured the United States, won the grand prize at an international songwriting competition in the spiritual home of country music, Nashville, and seen her profile rise exponentially after appearing on several US talk shows. She also stole the show at the New Zealand Music Awards earlier this month, winning five awards: Album of the Year, Breakthrough Artist of the Year, Best Female Solo Artist, Best Pop Album and the international achievement award.

[SYDNEY]

I am so stoked that she won (only 15 years old and writes all her songs), talent that will place her on the International stage

Clara's keen to share success

New Zealand's Got Talent winner Clara van Wel says she is grateful the rest of New Zealand "can now share it with me", as she comes to terms with her new-found success. Van Wel was crowned the winner in the show which was filmed on Thursday but aired last night. "On Thursday it was all very full on but last night it kind of hit home that all of New Zealand was in on it too, and they could share it with me and know about it was really brilliant," she said. And now she has found stardom, things are moving quickly. Her winning single, Where Do You find Love, will be released on Friday. As well as the single, which van Wel wrote herself, the digital bundle would include acoustic recordings of Between The Lines and Lines You Traced - two further original songs van Wel performed as her semi-final and audition pieces in the series, Sony Music New Zealand said. Despite the whirlwind rush to get her first single out, van Wel said it still hadn't really sunk in. "Absolutely not. I know it sounds silly but it's a dream come true. I never could have believed that something like this could happen. "I don't think it ever will to be perfectly honest, it's just a dream come true." For winning NZGT, the 15-year-old Blenheim schoolgirl received a cash prize of $100,000, a recording contract and a new car. A prolific songwriter who has already written nearly 50 tracks, van Wel has been singing and playing guitar from a young age. She won the Marlborough Smokefree Rockquest in 2011 and 2012. She said inspiration for her first single came from the perception of love that books and movies often pedal ... MORE

[SYDNEY]

NZGT's Jessie celebrated in India

An 11-year-old girl who came in second on New Zealand's Got Talent is creating headlines in India. Wellington's Jessie Hillel was the runner up to 15-year-old school girl Clara van Wel. Sub-continental media, which love Indian diaspora stories, have given space to Jessie, a Malayali girl from Kottayam in the southern state of Kerala. While her parents are bound by contract not to give interviews, it is not stopping her grandfather O.M. Mathew, a former professor of political science, who said the competition was hard for his little Jessie. He told The Hindu his granddaughter emailed soon after the show. "It was an awesome experience," she said and added she was happy to come second. The Hindu said Jessie had become a sensation in New Zealand, with a big fan following due to her angelic voice and also her simple demeanour. Her grandfather said she started singing at the "age of two or three" and had been practising since the age of five. He said her favourite Malayalam song was Pacha Panam Thathe. She was practising hard, day-in-and-day-out, he said. "The child will have to take everything in her stride now and focus solely on music," he said. The Times of India (TOI) said the Oruvattithara family, who called Jessie one of their own, had been praying for her success. They said her elder sibling Julie was a talented pianist, holding the distinction of performing for New Zealand's parliament members. "The girl has music in her blood," the grandfather told the newspaper. They noted he is a former national executive member of the conservative Hindu grouping Bharatiya Janata Party and members of the family were trained Carnatic musicians. Wellington Malayali Association secretary, Jomin Antony, was quoted by TOI, saying Jessie's feat was a rare one since not many talented Indians had tasted such success. Swaroopa Unni, a Malayali from Dunedin, said: "Jessie is confident and a very talented girl. When you see her hearty smile, her melodious voice, it seems like a wonder."

[SYDNEY]

The Offspring to play Vector Arena

American rock band The Offspring are coming back to New Zealand next year for one show. They will play Auckland's Vector Arena on February 27. The Pretty Fly for a White Guy band promise to perform material from all nine of the albums they have amassed over their 20-plus year career. Widely regarded as one of the most enduring bands of the 90s California scene, The Offspring have sold more than 36 million albums, including Smash, which remains the highest selling album of all time on an independent label. The Auckland show comes on the back of the band's appearance at Australia's Soundwave festival. The band said thirty years on, they still love their job. "We share a love of this music that we got into at such a young age," said guitarist Noodles. "It meant the same thing or a very similar thing to all of us back then as it does now. We love recording. We love hanging out backstage. We love giving each other shit and taking the piss out of each other. We love playing."

The Offspring

WHEN: February 27
WHERE: Vector Arena, Auckland

[SYDNEY]

Morrissey returns to NZ
This week: Guide to Auckland's best events

[SYDNEY]

Cross-post from Auckland News Thread ...

Big gigs ahead for 2013

[SYDNEY]

Counting Crows

Multi-platinum modern rock band Counting Crows have announced a long-awaited New Zealand theatre tour for 2013, their first headline tour since 2004. The American seven-piece head Down Under for two New Zealand shows in Wellington and Auckland prior to a National Australian tour as well as appearing at the Byron Bay Bluesfest. The tour announcement coincides with the release of their first new album in more than four years, ‘Underwater Sunshine (Or What We Did On Our Summer Vacation)’ ... MORE

Auckland International Buskers Festival 2013

Auckland’s 13th Annual International Buskers Festival will be showcasing 11 of the most spectacular street performers on earth. This wildly successful, wacky and wonderful Festival hits the streets of Auckland’s BIG little city over Anniversary Weekend 2013 ... MORE

Auckland Anniversary Weekend

The next long weekend is almost here & it's going to be packed with great food, music, performance and sporting events. Make the most of the fine weather and the day off and get out and about in the BIG little City ... MORE

Elvis Costello and The Imposters will be joined by Don McGlashan at their only NZ show. Original support acts James Reyne and Tim Finn are no longer performing.

Auckland Lantern Festival

Bring all the family to celebrate the new Year of the Snake at Auckland’s 14th annual Lantern Festival - celebrating and experiencing Chinese culture in its many exciting forms. Choose from dozens of delicious Asian food stalls and picnic on the grass amidst hundreds of beautiful lanterns specially imported from China. Non-stop entertainment on the main stage includes the Omnipotent Youth Society rock band from Beijing, a classical music group from Chengdu and acrobats from Shanghai ... MORE

Robert Plant: The Voice of Led Zeppelin

Rock legend Robert Plant, famous for his time with 70s icons Led Zeppelin, is coming to New Zealand with his new band the Sensational Space Shifters. This latest project is a loose band inspired by the roots music of Mississippi, Appalachia, Gambia, Bristol and the foothills of Wolverhampton and drawing on influences collected in a lifetime of meander and journeying ... MORE

The Offspring

The Offspring are coming back to NZ to do what they do best - play killer live shows with planet-sized hooks and choruses from across nine albums of nailed on anthemic rock riffage. With an absolute swarm of hits across their twenty plus year career this show is set to ignite expectations and blow brains ... MORE

Shen Yun 2013

Shen Yun takes you on a journey through five thousand years of divinely inspired culture, where the wisdom of ancient China, the world’s finest classical Chinese dancers, hand-crafted costumes, and massive animated backdrops come together in one spectacular performance. The grand production features nearly 100 artists, 400 costumes, and the only orchestra in the world with both classical Western and Chinese instruments ... MORE

[metroman]

When I came back from my last trip to NZ, I was listening to the NZ music channel on Air NZ, and have also been listening to it on Youtube. Gotta say I am blown away by Kiwi music, it is that good. My only question is why is it virtually unheard of?

[SYDNEY]

Paul Simon coming to New Zealand

Paul Simon is coming to New Zealand for two shows in April. The legendary singer-songwriter is booked to play at Dunedin's Forsyth Barr Stadium on April 6 and Vector Arena in Auckland on April 8. Enigmatic singer Rufus Wainwright will play support for both concerts. Simon's performance promises to span all eras of his career: From beginnings in the folk clubs of early 1960s Greenwich Village, to his famed period with Simon and Garfunkel and his celebrated solo career. He has experienced a late career revival in recent years, with his 2011 album So Beautiful or So What receiving critical acclaim. Dunedin Mayor Dave Cull said a concert by an artist of Simon's calibre would inject millions into his city's economy. "Having a musician of this calibre performing in Dunedin is wonderful news for the city. "His music takes me back to fond memories of the '60s and every decade since. Paul Simon will be a huge draw card for thousands of fans, which will also bring millions of dollars into Dunedin." Tickets go on sale from Ticketdirect for Dunedin and Ticketmaster for Auckland on February 8.

[SYDNEY]

Fabulous Kiwi music, she is going to go far ...

[SYDNEY]

Kiwi Songbird Kimbra: Somebody with the Grammy glow

As she sits in the back of a Los Angeles cab, somewhere between the Grammy Awards, her hotel and the rest of a long night of celebrations, Kimbra is still sounding surprised at how her day turned out. Sure, it was always going to be exciting. If only because her idol Prince was presenting an award. How cool is that going to be? Seeing Prince that close? "Yeah, it was pretty crazy being there myself and looking around and going, 'Wow!'," she says, for a second revealing the starstruck 22-year-old from Hamilton underneath all her usual poised confidence. "We even discussed beforehand the craziness that Prince was going to be there and we were going to be standing only a few metres away from him," she laughs down the phone to the Herald. Kimbra might have got used to all this music awards hype by now - after all, she's hauled stacks of them off stages on both sides of the Tasman in the past few years with the success of her debut album Vows. But here she was at the biggest music awards on the planet, among the biggest names in pop ... MORE