Chris Parker and Eli Matthewson’s hit podcast The Male Gayz is now a thing you can look at with your eyeballs, thanks to TVNZ on Demand. Chris Parker and Eli Matthewson are two of the country’s most prolific and well-known young comedians. They’re both writers for Jono and Ben and Funny Girls, as well as occasional performers on both … Read more
At 16 years old, Jackson Owens was handpicked for a pop trio by former Backstreet Boys producer Timothy Coons due to the strength of his musical cover versions on YouTube. Since then he’s left his hometown of Turangi behind to hunt for a break in the US. Gareth Shute catches up with Owens to discuss his … Read more
Martyn Pepperell talks to Dictaphone Blues’s Ed Castelow on Tinder, synths and redefining indie success. Auckland singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and studio tinkerer Ed Castelow has been a regular fixture on stages around New Zealand and Australia since the mid-2000s, playing in bands like degrees.k, The Ruby Suns, The Brunettes, Anthonie Tonnon and The Conjurors, and his own … Read more
A birth, an Oprah, a Serena, a Moira, a denial, a denial, a denial. Tara Ward recaps episode 11 of The Handmaid’s Tale, season 2. This I (do not) know is true, but I do know Oprah was the welcome voice of the resistance in this week’s intense episode of The Handmaid’s Tale. June listened to … Read more
New Zealand may have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to join Eurovision – so who would give us the best shot of a win? Eurovision enthusiast Robyn Gallagher has some thoughts. The Eurovision Song Contest – the annual music extravaganza that combines songs, performance, fireworks and always some weird stuff – usually only pops onto the radar … Read more
Alex Casey goes for a stroll on the foot-shaped sands of Heartbreak Island, week three. I truly couldn’t have put it any better than Josh himself, when he looked down the barrel of the camera and sincerely announced that “Lord of the Flies is kicking off.” Except, this time, the infamous conch is a tumbler … Read more
In Repressed Memories, James Mustapic delves into NZ pop culture’s graveyard and digs up some bodies. This episode: remembering Dane Rumble, Fast Crew, J. Williams, Evermore and Scribe. Watch all the Repressed Memories videos here. The Spinoff TV screens Fridays at 9.45pm from June 22nd on THREE. Thanks to NZ on Air. The Spinoff’s music … Read more
Lightbox Movies has a huge selection of movies to choose from, but film geek Sam Brooks is most excited about the obscure, hard-to-find and objectively best ones. A Fantastic Woman Obviously, the first thing a film nerd should catch up on, if they haven’t seen it already, is the latest winner of the Academy Award for … Read more
Cher is coming to town! Sam Brooks runs through the many facets of Cher’s near-60 year career – and what makes her so special. Cher as pop star Look, Cher has been a pop star longer than most of us have been alive. She’s had more hits than I have had glasses of wine. She … Read more
You might not know that Dancing with the Stars NZ is actually filmed in front of a live studio audience. This week Miriam Moore was a member of that audience, and this is her story. Not since the days of Legends of the Hidden Temple have I longed to be a live audience member as much … Read more
Reilly Hodson looks at the best music videos of the year so far and how they’re commenting on these messed up times. In a world where music consumption seems to occur mostly with headphones plugged into a phone in one’s pocket, it’s easy to overlook the art of the music video. What was once one … Read more
Even before it aired, Heartbreak Island had attracted an excess of controversy. Duncan Greive says the show is much better and stranger than its detractors would have you believe. Has there ever been a show as doomed as Heartbreak Island? The name is manifestly a jack of ITV’s smash hit Love Island, only inverted so … Read more
The Real Pod assembles with a very special guest to dissect the madness that was Married at First Sight Australia, with special thanks to Nando’s. This week on The Real Pod, are blessed to be in the presence of reality superstar Tracey Jewel – author, rapper, Lord of the Rings enthusiast and Married at First Sight Australia legend. Here … Read more
It’s ’90s week on Dancing with the Stars – approximately the decade when this series started. We’re doing the power rankings again. And they have to dance not once, but twice! There is neither rhyme nor reason to these power rankings, so I will rank by dance, not by contestant. There’s just one more week to … Read more
In the middle of last decade, one man dominated our local music television. Then he disappeared. Elle Hunt tracks down Joel Defries, and talks to him about life as a Kiwi TV star, and what he’s been doing since. Joel Defries was once a household name. Well: in some households, between 4pm and 7pm weekdays, … Read more
In May 1993 alt-metal weirdos Faith No More were cast adrift in New Zealand with nothing to do. And so Don Rowe’s dad booked them to open his nightclub, a tiny room in a very different Queenstown. Almost a year to the day before I was born my parents made a decision that I maintain ruined … Read more
It’s week ten of Survivor NZ and things just got weirdly Jurassic. Last week on Survivor NZ we saw Matt make undoubtedly the biggest move of the season, blindsiding Brad who left the game with a hidden immunity idol still in his pocket. Brad’s exit has completely shaken up the game, leaving a huge power vacuum in … Read more
The metal community is in mourning following the loss of Vinnie Paul aged 54. Co-founder of the timeless Pantera, and drummer for Damageplan and Hell Yeah, Vinnie was a metal god. Emily Writes pays tribute. When I logged onto Facebook this morning it was one of the first things I saw. “Vincent Paul Abbott aka Vinnie … Read more
We’re rocketing towards the ending of season two of The Handmaid’s Tale, and Gilead is not letting up one bit. Tara Ward recaps episode 10. Let myself introduce myself: this is me after I watched this week’s episode of The Handmaid’s Tale. I am ruined. I am a bleeding carcass of emotion, stripped of everything that … Read more
This week Flight of The Conchords play three nights in a row at the O2 Arena, one of the UK’s biggest covered venues with a capacity of 20,000 people. Gareth Shute determines how they stack up in the history of New Zealand live performers. Back in 2010 it was big news when Flight of the … Read more
Alex Casey goes for a stroll on the foot-shaped sands of Heartbreak Island, week two. The passion play plus can now take place. The passion play plus can now take place. The passion play plus can now take place. Now that I have summoned the tanned ghost of Mark Dye and we’ve done our drama … Read more
XXXTentacion, a controversial rapper, was awaiting charges of aggravated battery of a pregnant woman, domestic battery by strangulation, false imprisonment and witness tampering when he was shot and killed yesterday. Excusing his behaviour and showing support for him because he has passed away tells survivors in your life that you don’t care, writes Pearl Little. Content warning: … Read more
The Real Pod assembles to dissect the week in New Zealand pop culture and real life, with special thanks to Nando’s. This week on The Real Pod, we’ve infiltrated the Radio Live studio to deliver you yet another week of reality TV recappery. Dancing With the Stars NZ is getting down to the wire with group … Read more
On Lightbox Premium, you can download Lightbox content to your mobile device. We asked our colleagues for their picks to watch on your next commute – no matter the length. Your commute can be the worst part of your day; there’s nothing to do on it except waste time. But what if you could catch … Read more
Week after week on Dancing with the Stars, the ACT leader has cheated eviction at the hands of the judges thanks to massive support from viewers, to the extent that he’s comfortably received more text votes than he did in the election last year. Anecdotally, much of his support is coming from young people. But why? … Read more
David Farrier finds out why some men are paying Auckland musician Princess Chelsea hundreds of dollars for one song. Princess Chelsea is one of my favourite New Zealand musicians. Some of her songs are massive and big, like this one which has 40 million views on YouTube. Others are a bit smaller, like ‘Yulia‘ (only … Read more
It’s a wintry theme this week on a Cato-less Dancing with the Stars. Who adjusts to the winter chill and who is left out in the cold? These puns and more in week eight’s power rankings. Note: Each contestant danced twice this week – once with their partner and once in a team – and I … Read more
Yesterday, Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s album ‘Everything Is Love’ was released with no warning. Is it any good? If Lemonade was the release and 4:44 was the repentance, then Everything Is Love is, indisputably, the glorious reconciliation. Over the weekend, the Carters released the closing chapter of their conceptual trilogy via the online streaming service Tidal. It’s … Read more
We’re back again for week nine of Survivor NZ, and with only nine castaways left we’re starting to see old alliances fall apart, as new partnerships form. Luke Harries recaps. The old tribal lines of Chani and Khang Khaw are more blurred than ever, and following Renee’s big move to flip on her old Chani … Read more