Category: Music
What can I say about the Datsuns that I didn’t say last time I heard them play? Last night in a sweltering, sweaty Kings Arms they over-delivered on the rock n roll. Tight as hell while also—to my ears—more Beatle-ish… Read more →
This was my third trip to Splore, the scenic festival about an hour south of Auckland. They say it’s an integrated, eco-aware, family-friendly event and that it’s not all about the music—but the music is always gonna be top of… Read more →
Living in Saudi, I’ve spent more time than usual in my room listening to music online. The first six months were dominated by drum n bass. House fell flat on my ears; the 4/4 beat bored me. Then scrolling through… Read more →
It was last century that I got excited about a particular drum n bass producer but listening to a Respect podcast last night, a tune by TC caught my ear. I’ve now listened to a good chunk of his… Read more →
The Auckland club scene is slowly crawling back to life but punters have few choices outside Ink Bar and Access on K Rd; Cassette 9 and Roxy downtown, or a smattering of upmarket venues around the Britomart/Viaduct area. And with… Read more →
All my Christmases came at once last night when I got to witness half of the original Queen line-up perform with my favourite American Idol contestant.
I’ve watched docos, read books and tried every one of the band’s 15 albums:… Read more →
Idly watching music videos on TV a few months ago, I sat up and took note of an upbeat house track fronted by an athletic girl dancing around the streets of Brooklyn. It was Canadian artist Kiesza with her runaway… Read more →
Today Beyonce surprised the world by releasing a 17-track visual album on iTunes. If you’re wondering what a visual album is, it means she’s made a video for every single track. The album is my favourite Beyonce material ever and… Read more →
This is not a health-conscious rant about the dangers of drinking highly caffeinated, sugary drinks; it’s pure praise for the Red Bull brand. You could be forgiven for thinking I’m being paid to write such a one-sided glowing report but… Read more →
Salina-Pearl Nigro was evidently a mover and shaker in the Auckland house music scene about a decade ago and this year she’s made a comeback as a DJ/promoter with her 42 Below-sponsored party Manuka Jam. Saturday was the second installment… Read more →
The Datsuns are probably my favourite band and their show last night at the Kings Arms was another great gig to add to my memory bank. I first encountered them around 2002, not long after the release of their first… Read more →
This piece originally appeared on undergroundhouse.net in 2005. Cut to 2013 and Lady D has been featured in a movie about high-profile female DJs – proving she’s as relevant as ever.… Read more →
If you don’t follow pop culture you might not know that Katy Perry and Lady Gaga are currently going head to head with their latest singles, and both are playing them at the Video Music Awards tonight in the US.… Read more →
Last night was the second installment of “Bad Habits” since it’s moved to Ink Bar from Bacco Room. As mentioned in a previous post, the monthly drum n bass party is hosted by State of Mind’s Pat and Stu, plus… Read more →
A short post to mention two tracks that feature monsters in their brilliant videos, and make you feel happy to be alive like you do when you see great fireworks.… Read more →
Tonight Bulletproof releases his 5th studio album with a party down at Ink Bar on K Rd. It will no doubt be a great night – full of fans, and pulsating with quality music.… Read more →
This party was spawned down at Ink Bar, where, for a few heady weeks, live bands sweated it up in the bunker lounge as a ragtag bunch of mods and rockers looked on from the foyer. But being as Ink… Read more →
Kanye’s latest album is definitely not everyone’s cup of tea and on first listen, I wasn’t sure it was mine either. It’s an original beast: frenzied and relentless one minute, mellow and plaintive the next. The lyrics are raw and… Read more →
April 25th marked the 14th anniversary of the death of Kemi Olusanya, better known as Kemistry from the female drum n bass duo Kemistry & Storm.
When I went to London in May 1998, I arrived on a Tuesday and… Read more →
A few songs have caught me ear lately, while also capturing the imagination of everyone else!
First up, LIPS. I was lucky enough to meet Steph Brown when staying with a friend in Brooklyn in 2011 and when I asked… Read more →
Watching a bit of music TV the other day I was surprised to see The Wire‘s Stringer Bell running around a field that was very much not Baltimore – looked like the Scottish highlands but turned out to be Pembrokeshire… Read more →
Having worked at Ink on and off for years, it’s easy to spot whether a night has a genuine point of difference, or if it’s just another DJ line-up with a pretty flyer. This party has been going for a… Read more →
This was originally published on worlddj.com when I lived in Japan and reviewed events for free entry. Yellow was an incredible club that has since been shut down. I took the booth pics and they supplied the others.
As one… Read more →
This was originally published on worlddj.com when I was living in Japan and writing club reviews for free entry. I’m not sure if my review conveys how absolutely awesome this club was! Note the lady dancing on stage in front… Read more →
The latest beautifully packaged offering from San Francisco’s OM Records is a live mix CD from Derrick Carter and Mark Farina respectively. To celebrate its release, Farina was invited to spin in Chicago at the Monday night industry party… Read more →
This is one of the dopest parties I’ve ever been to. Yellow is a serious nightclub and the 3 Chairs crew are serious about their music but the two factors combined to create a lot of fun. The Japan tour… Read more →
This was originally published on worlddj.com when I lived in Japan and reviewed events for free entry. The Tokyo club scene is super professional and sometimes there were no cameras allowed but they would give me ones from their pros,… Read more →
