Simon Day uncovers the fascinating history of New Zealand’s longest running music festival. Twenty years ago on the rugged cliffs above Karioitahi Beach, an hour south of Auckland, somewhere between 500 and 700 people gathered to spend two days celebrating the end of 1998 and the beginning of 1999. It was a wild bush trance … Read more
The second annual Spinoff Music survey. Please take a couple of minutes out of your Christmas party schedule to answer these simple eight questions about music in 2017 (what a year huh?) We’ve ‘nominated’ some songs and albums not because we necessarily think that’s what you should vote for, but basically because those are some … Read more
Hosting the America’s Cup should be the perfect event for a sailing city like Auckland, shouldn’t it? So why, asks Simon Wilson, is there a risk it’s going to wreck the surrounding area? Something has gone seriously wrong with waterfront planning in Auckland and the America’s Cup is threatening to make a bad situation even … Read more
Fergie’s album Double Dutchess dropped last month. It is, for whatever reason, a visual album. Sam Brooks dove deep. Fergie occupies a strange place in our pop culture. After a girl group stint few people remember, she became famous as the most recognisable voice of one of the biggest bands of the 21st century thus … Read more
Ports of Auckland has released its brand new long-term plans. Simon Wilson is impressed, but also not impressed. The cars are moving off the finger wharves. Hallelujah. And instead of spreading over every inch of available wharf space, most of them will be contained in a remarkable, brand-new carpark building. With a green park on … Read more
Our regular round-up of new songs and singles, this week featuring Miley Cyrus, HAIM, and Japanese Breakfast! Miley Cyrus – ‘Malibu’ Miley’s hip-hop holiday is over ‘Malibu’ is an easy-breezy-beautiful guitar jam about reconnecting with your ex Liam Hemsworth. There are hand claps. In the video, there are balloons. On the single artwork, Miley is … Read more
An Azerbaijani goth, a breakdancing Italian gorilla and a charming Australian teenager walk into a bar… Eurovision aficionado Robyn Gallagher picks her favourite entries ahead of Sunday morning’s Grand Final. This week the semi-finals of the Eurovision have been taking place in Kyiv, Ukraine. And this Sunday morning (New Zealand time), 26 acts will compete … Read more
If you’re under 18 and a music fan then your choice for attending gigs legally is remarkably scant. Seventeen year old Grace Stratton makes an appeal for promoters not to forget the younger crowd. One of the first gigs I went to was on my 14th birthday. Thinking back to that gig invokes some of … Read more
The Spinoff Auckland editor Simon Wilson loathed Wednesday night’s Rufus Wainwright concert. But onwards: this weekend at the Auckland Arts Festival looks to be full of wonders. There was a moment about halfway through Rufus Wainwright’s vainglorious “symphonic visual concert” Prima Donna (a concert version of his opera) when I thought the diva might be … Read more
Dave Baxter, the man behind ‘Love Love Love‘, recently won a large payout from his former manager Matt Coleman. Hayden Donnell gleans some key findings from the judgment – and explains why Baxter may still never receive what he’s owed. About a month ago, Matthew Coleman, one of New Zealand’s leading music managers (and 2010 … Read more
Songwriting has been accepted as a Level 3 NCEA subject from 2017. Play It Strange CEO Mike Chunn got the scoop and asked some of New Zealand’s best songwriters what they thought about it. This is a watershed moment. Songwriting is now an NCEA subject. Specifically – Level 3 with the Achievement Standard number of … Read more
Feeling depressed? Angry? Self-righteous? Victorious? Nothing? Just feeling? Henry Oliver presents a playlist for nine emotional responses to yesterday’s election. Born Against – Half Mast “Aaaaaaaaaaaaauuuuuuuugggghhhhhhfuckaaaaaaaaaaaaauuuuuuuuuuggggghhhhhhhhhhhfuckfuck fuckauughaaaaaaughfuckaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaauuuuuuggghhhaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaauuu uuuuuughfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckFUCK!!!” Public Enemy – Fight the Power “Don’t mourn, organise! There are only three years, eleven months, three weeks and three days until the next election.” Anohini – … Read more
With the launch of our brand new music section, here’s what’s been happening in the music business this decade. Click here for more figures on music in New Zealand, thanks to figure.nz.
The Spinoff and Spark proudly present the first episode of Pod On The Couch, a weekly podcast exploring music and the people that make it. First up: Leonie Hayden, Tigilau Ness and Graham Reid join host Duncan Greive to talk about a new tribute to Bob Marley. Stepping in for Spinoff Music editor Henry Oliver, Spinoff … Read more
The Nobel Committee’s recognition of Bob Dylan shines a light on the transformative power of songwriting – a craft that very much belongs in New Zealand schools, writes Mike Chunn. Listening to a song is like taking a journey. The mechanics of that trip depend on the song, in the main. That is, words and … Read more
Next week The Spinoff Music launches, thanks to the support of Spark. Duncan Greive explains what it will be, who will edit it and why it’s such a big deal to him. Last night I watched with a slightly queasy feeling as a group of eight or so musicians stood on a stage off to … Read more
The War for Auckland briefly flees the stinking cauldron of hot takes for the cool waters of beautiful music, as Lake South explains his new track Renters. I wrote Renters because that’s Auckland for me in 2016. All my friends talk about is paying too much rent for shitty flats. They say they can’t tell the landlord about the … Read more
Later this month 17-year-old music promoter Elleana Dumper will put on her first all-ages show with help from Ignite, a training programme for young people with a passion for music and events. She asks why young music fans are missing out for the sake of New Zealand’s ‘drink till you drop’ culture. At 17, I … Read more
Just in case you’ve been missing the next big thing in music reviews, we’ve compiled the best Pop on The Couch episodes for your convenience. Featuring Alex Casey, Joseph Harper, the occasional courier, and [COMING SOON] Troye Sivan. The Taylor Swift special Alex and Joseph don some sweet unofficial merch as they rate Taylor Swift’s … Read more
Aaradhna Patel comes into the room near visibly shaking. She hates interviews, does them because she must, and afterwards feels like she’s said all the wrong things. Given her occupation, it’s an unfortunate situation. This one promises to be particularly trying. She’s talking about racism. About her personal experience of it, in fine detail. Haltingly … Read more
Better late than never, host Alex Casey is joined by comedian and writer Michele A’Court and Mana magazine editor Leonie Hayden to talk about what April held for women in New Zealand. That is to say the Henderson hemline controversy, harassment in the music industry and an extended conversation about vaginas. Pour yourself a cup … 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
This Saturday marks the return of Record Store Day, the annual international celebration of independent music retail. What started as a fun way to support your local record store has become an orgy of price-gouging and corporate greed, says Alan Perrott. We must destroy Record Store Day to save Record Store Day. Which, frankly, is … Read more
Dan Taipua’s Save State series presents five gaming relics that every collector needs in their shrine/garage, from the essential basics to the very rare and frustratingly pointless. In this the fourth installment, Dan investigates the discordant world of music gaming. 5. Game Boy Camera Cameras are mostly famous for their ability to take photographs and … Read more
Auckland City Limits, the new festival headlined by Kendrick Lamar and The National, is as ambitious a live music project as New Zealand has seen in a decade or more. During its assembly Duncan Greive twice interviewed its promoter, Campbell Smith, who gave very candid insights into the business of music festivals. I first heard … Read more
Thomas Benny, Joe Nunweek and Richard Bol recount their scurrilous memories of New Zealand live music in the late ’90s and early ’00s. If you’re in the same demographic as many of The Spinoff’s writers, you came of age during a golden era for festivals and touring acts in New Zealand. A flush Australian economy riding … Read more
In 1999 Spinoff Editor Duncan Greive featured in a music documentary called Sweet As. 16 years later it was innocently suggested by Throwback Thursday’s new sponsors NZ On Screen for post, with the newsy hook being that we headed into festival season. Against his better judgement, he agreed to re-examine what is without doubt most publicly embarrassing thing he’s … Read more
Calum Henderson talks to the acclaimed recording artist and guest star of Master of None S01E03 about Aziz, stock photography, and who he’d face in the Fight For Life. The third episode of Aziz Ansari’s widely acclaimed Master of None largely revolves around a ‘secret show’ by an act called Father John Misty. Ansari’s character … Read more
The scene is the set of a craptastic public access TV channel. A woodwork demonstration with a table saw is underway as the cameras roll. The demonstrator is a gangly, seemingly spaced out man in white overalls; he’s being interviewed by a young guy with a mop of permed hair and glasses. Overalls says “There’s … Read more