longtime U2 fan Eddie Johnston (Lontalius, Race Banyon) reviews the band’s latest album, Songs of Experience. I have two very strong beliefs: U2 are a great band Rock music has never sounded more stale U2’s newest album Songs Of Experience leaked into the world last Monday and my initial reaction was very positive, mostly because … Read more
The Spinoff and Spark proudly present Pod On The Couch, a weekly podcast exploring music and the people that make it. This episode: Henry Oliver talks to Atlanta rappers and J Cole signees J.I.D, Johnny Venus and Doctur Dot. Spinoff Music editor Henry Oliver talks to J.I.D and Johnny Venus and Doctur Dot (who perform together as Earth Gang) and … Read more
The TV awards return after five years away and reveal an industry boiling with rage and extremely fun to watch. Last night, New Zealand television royalty – and The Real Pod – assembled in Skycity Theatre for the triumphant return of the New Zealand Television Awards after a five year hiatus. There was glitz, there … Read more
She’s written some of your favourite songs – and you don’t even know it. Sam Brooks talks to one of the biggest songwriters of the decade who’s about to become one of the biggest popstars in the world. “I wrote it in the midst of my last break up, it’s a song about whether you’re … Read more
Tara Ward falls in crazy, stupid love with Young Hercules, the bizarre 90s classic made in New Zealand and starring a young Ryan Gosling. Once upon a time, in a land far away called 1990s New Zealand, someone made the greatest television show in the history of the universe. Alas, I’m not talking about Face the … Read more
Duncan Greive watches Australian Ninja Warrior and makes a serious pitch for the return of New Zealand’s own ’90s multi-sport extravaganza. Australian Ninja Warrior already contains a number of ingredients which suggest a deeply problematic show: the co-option in name only of an ancient Japanese culture for reality TV; a blonde breakout star running in … Read more
This week Jane, Duncan and Alex (and fill in recordist Don Rowe) really lean into this whole post-MAFS life. Pray for them. This week’s #realpod starts, like all should, with an apology. To Polly, and to Grant. We implied that they were no longer surfing the airwaves. We were wrong – they are rockin’ More … Read more
After moving to New Zealand to study, Julia Soares returned to her New Caledonia home eight years later with her Wellington band in tow, ready to show them ‘an island that vibrates with music’. You can hear the joy in Julia Soares voice as she recounts her homecoming set at New Caledonia’s once-in-a-lifetime music festival … Read more
Tara Ward counts down the top ten moments from the eleventh episode of Outlander season three. Contains major spoilers, obviously. This morning I woke to the crushing news that I am no longer engaged to Prince Harry. Thankfully, one can always rely on Outlander to soften life’s cruel blows with a soft, billowy cushion of ginger joy. … Read more
To mark the 10th anniversary of The Truth, the debut album from Sid Diamond (FKA Young Sid), Sam Wicks talks to Sid and the team that helped capture his Otara state of mind. In September 2007, Young Sid released his landmark street rap album on Move the Crowd Records, a label set up by ex-pat music executive … Read more
Four courses and six very famous chefs stand between our amateur cooking heroes and a $100,000 cheque. In any competition, a grand final is a magical event. You can feel it in the electric crackle of anticipation and sense it in the surrounding pomp and ceremony. The grand final of My Kitchen Rules NZ is no exception: … Read more
Elle Hunt thought she was alone at sea in her love for Blue Planet back in 2001. In 2017, it would seem the whole world has taken the plunge. I would like to begin with an apology to the couple I interrupted at The Love Walk Cafe in Camberwell last week. I’m so sorry; you … Read more
Kate Robertson reviews Shawn Mendes, the ever-so-pure former Vine star who performed at Spark Arena on Saturday. Saturday night saw 19-year-old Shawn Mendes, a star so clean-cut Disney could only dream of stamping their brand on him, grace us with his pristine presence for the first time. It’s a gig I’ve not stopped yapping on … Read more
Calum Henderson makes some very well-informed predictions for the finale of My Kitchen Rules NZ tomorrow. Pour out a jug of rich, tasty jus for the four fallen teams of My Kitchen Rules NZ 2017: North Shore students Charlotte and Maddie, Rotorua soulmates Tash and Hera, Auckland besties Jaryd and Ben and – in a shock elimination after last … Read more
The Spinoff and Spark proudly present Pod On The Couch, a weekly podcast exploring music and the people that make it. This episode: Henry Oliver talks to Soccerpractise’s Geneva Alexander-Marsters and Thom Burton. Spinoff Music editor Henry Oliver talks to Soccerpractise’s Geneva Alexander-Marsters and Thom Burton about their debut self-titled album, singing in te reo Māori in an indie context, … Read more
Search Party is back on Lightbox for its second season – with new episodes arriving every Monday. Sam Brooks is here to tell you why you need to catch up on this show right now. Mild spoilers ahead! If you don’t want to take my word for it, and why would you, you should read … Read more
Optimo, the Glaswegian DJ duo of JD Twitch and JG Wilkes, are a byword for open-minded, anything-goes club nights, their sets incorporating anything from mutant disco to krautrock, techno to samba, industrial to ‘Dueling Banjos’ and John Carpenter themes. Stevie Kaye talks to the duo ahead of their return to New Zealand this weekend. Founded … Read more
Alex Casey talks to PSUSY creator Jaya Beach-Robertson about pushing the webseries boundaries and dealing with thrush. PSUSY is a lot things, but it is not here to be cute. The psychedelic, hilarious webseries created by Jaya Beach Robertson and directed by Annie Duckworth delves deep into the gnarly realities of sex, dating and gender … Read more
Dom Corry meets Ben Mandelker and Ronnie Karam, two brave podcast hosts who make a living talking about Bravo, and asks them why they can’t get enough of Gilda, Angela, Julia and the gang. If you enjoy Bravo reality shows, you really should be listening to the ridiculously entertaining Watch What Crappens podcast. [Editor’s note: … Read more
Dominic Hoey (aka Tourettes) reports from his 17-town tour of New Zealand with singer-songwriter Skyscraper Stan and side-kick Josh Jugum. Day 12 of the tour. I’m pleased to report that Josh didn’t die of seal poisoning, although he has become insufferable, constantly threatening to drive us into oncoming traffic and heckling from the audience. Suffice … Read more
Alex Casey watches The Seven Year Switch on TVNZ2, a familiar-sounding social experiment that matches up married people with complete strangers. There are perhaps no sweeter three words to the gnarled ear of a television writer than the phrase “controversial social experiment.” The latest series to return to this increasingly-full arena is the second season … Read more
MTV Beats and Eats is an Australian festival which indulges in all the guilty pleasures we never admit and Kate Robertson is here for it. Mates, I need to disclose something to you before I go all play-by-play on the pop music one-dayer that was MTV Beats and Eats: I’m a festival fiend. Like, literally a … Read more
Free from the shackles of Married at First Sight NZ, The Real Pod gang talk mostly about Married at First Sight NZ, with a touch of Bachelor news and the triumphant return of Max Key Corner. We’ve packed up our things and moved back to Lincoln on The Real Pod this week, which means the … Read more
Tara Ward counts down the top ten moments from ‘Heaven and Earth’, the tenth episode of Outlander season three. Contains major spoilers, obviously. Let us bow down at the Outlander altar, because ‘Heaven and Earth’ featured two loves of my life: potpourri and cheese. I never thought the day would come when the King of Men yarns … Read more
Stevie Nicks played at Auckland’s Spark Arena last night, with The Pretenders as special guests. Sam Brooks was there. I saw Blondie and Cyndi Lauper early this year, and there’s something special about seeing these vanguards of music do a victory lap. All the things that made them unique, made them famous, made them successes … Read more
In an unexpected twist, the penultimate episode of My Kitchen Rules NZ pays homage to a classic Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson comedy vehicle. For the first two sudden death cook-offs, MKRNZ production booked out what seemed like popular and high-end wedding venues and invited a pick’n’mix of Kiwi celebrities to help eat and judge … Read more
Trans Am’s Nathan Means talks to Spiral Stairs, who plays in Auckland next month, about his attraction to NZ culture – and NZ cricket “I’m in Merida.” Spiral Stairs’ words are not rushed. “Mexico.” Stairs, AKA Scott Kannberg, a founding member of Pavement and Preston School of Industry, goes on to explain that he and … Read more
Yesterday, Henry Oliver risked it all by predicting the winners of last night’s New Zealand Music Awards. Today he updates that post with the actual results and slightly jaded commentary. Okay, last night actually went pretty well. By which I mean that, yes, it was a good show, I was sitting at a good table with nice people, … Read more
Tara Ward does a deep dive into one of New Zealand’s weirdest national obsessions. There’s something about the Big Red Chair on The Graham Norton Show that pulls New Zealanders towards it. It’s like a giant magnet of truth, sucking the shame and dignity out of our fellow citizens. Resistance is futile. Week after week, … Read more