‘‘Alvin couldn't make it. He's got to study for a professorship in history.'' So explains Charlie Harper, singer and founding member of the UK Subs, who were part of the original punk rock movement in England in the mid-70s and struck success there with a string of chart singles.
The surprise success story at last year's Tui awards, the Mint Chicks are returning from their Portland base for a national tour. And they can't wait, writes Shane Gilchrist.
‘‘Progressive folk'', ‘‘indie-pop'' or ‘‘alt country'', the music of Auckland band George and Queen takes many twists and turns. Shane Gilchrist puts a few questions to married couple Immi Paterson and Neil Newton as they prepare for a southern tour.
Heroism, sacrifice, lost innocence... Anzac Day has an ongoing, compelling resonance. Dunedin man George Davis has dug deeper than most to unearth its meaning, writes Shane Gilchrist.
World War 2 veteran Peter Wildey's formidable memory is matched by his modesty, writes Shane Gilchrist.
Psychedelic, experimental . . . the music of Peter Kember, otherwise known as Spectrum or Sonic Boom, is anything but clinical. On the eve of his first New Zealand tour, he explains his twisted methods to Shane Gilchrist.
Easter means different things to different people. For Dunedin woman Philippa Jamieson, it is a time of earthly reflection. Shane Gilchrist reports.
The visit of English punk-rock band UK Subs to Dunedin prompted ageing punk rocker Shane Gilchrist to revisit life in Dunedin in the early 1980s.
Dance music producer Recloose returns with a third studio album, an eclectic mix that again utilises the talent he has discovered since moving to New Zealand in 2001. Shane Gilchrist reports.
A day before the opening show of his Johnny Cash tribute tour, Brendan Dugan was en route from his Papamoa home to the South Island for his first full rehearsal.
