If the Kings Arms, which closes today, was the physical epicentre of Auckland’s ’90s/2000s alternative music scene, The Fix was its pre-Facebook-invite guide. Steve Newall recounts the venue’s history through The Fix’s gig guides and talks to its editor Richard Cooke. Auckland in the ’90s was a very different place: light on venues and outside … Read more
In part two of The Spinoff Music’s two-is-not-a-thing sports series, Steve Newall goes in search of that most elusive beast: the great sports song. Read part one, in which Gareth Shute writes a new All Blacks supporters’ song, here. New Zealand has tried its hand at many a sporting song, with everyone from the Feelers to … Read more
A few weeks ago a mysterious TradeMe listing revealed that the iconic New Zealand music magazine RipItUp was for sale. Yesterday there was happier news, when the redoubtable industry legend Simon Grigg was revealed as having purchased the invaluable archives. Steve Newall interviews him below about his purchase, and his plans. Steve Newall: When you came across … Read more
A mysterious TradeMe listing offering a GOLD MINE of a magazine for potential investors piques Steve Newall’s interest – but why won’t they tell us its name? A mysterious listing on Trade Me teases an “Iconic Magazine for Sale”. Beside it, an image alluringly screams GOLD MINE. Oddly, there’s no mention in the listing of what it’s actually … Read more