Don't worry, I don't mean like proper grown-up investments, but instead I wanted to give you a list of things coming up in the social calendar that you might want to save that last $[insert amount here] bucks for. I've recently become only semi-hardly-employed (anyone need a freelance editor/writer's services?) and am slowly relearning the concept of selective socialising, for which advance warning is always good.
Read on for upcoming gigs, events and even some insider's rumours....

First up, this weekend is a comics fan's idea of heaven, with Armageddon and the NZ Comix Weekend running concurrently. You can still make it to Graphic in Cuba Mall for the launch party/exhibition closing party at 5:30 this evening and maybe even meet the 3 artists who've been exhibitng there all week - Robyn Kenealy, Claire Harris and D.RAW. If you come to the Cross tomorrow you might see them again, and you could find me pimping my comics magazine, Choice. And the entire Comix Weekend is free (not Armageddon though, obviously)! More info about the comics aspect of this weekend can be found in my post here.

Tomorrow, Saturday 19th, is also International Record Store Day, and to celebrate the auspicious event you can head into Slowboat Records on Cuba St and catch Sam Scott (of Phoenix Foundation fame) playing in-store with his side-project Bunnies on Ponies. While you're there why don't you give the lovely Slowboat employee, Jeremy, some props for his tireless and unjudgmental manning of the record counter.

Next Friday you can farewell Bek from Cortina - again! - as they're playing at Bodega with Disasteradio and the Windups.

On the 26th - Saturday week - the Wellington waterfront hosts Homegrown, a feast of local bands including Elemeno P, Pluto, Shihad, Phoenix Foundation and more. It seems to be sold out so go to the website and check out their list of places to win tix.

And the Comedy Festival starts on the 20th of April and runs through to the 10th of May in a frenzy of local and international funny-dudes and ladies. Go here for a timetable.

On the international gig front there's a whoooole bunch'o'fun on the horizon, so here goes:

April 29th - Henry Rollins (Black Flag) doing his spoken word thing at the Paramount! Could be a bit sweary...

May 1st - Ratatat @ Bodega - they're kind of rock-meets-electronica with a lot of fireworks-meets-smoke machine-meets-strobe thrown in for good measure. Find out more at promoter Palomino's MySpace page here. Tix from Slowboat.

May 13th - Malcolm Middleton, indie rock darling from Arab Strap, visits the SFBH. Go to Galesburg for more.

Oh cripes that's a lot of information, so I'll leave it there for now. On the horizon though there's !!!(chk chk chk) on May 29th, the Hasselhoff Experiment reforming for one night only at the Adelaide on May 17th, and the Tapemen playing at the Mighty Mighty for the Bandwagon's 25th Issue celebration on May 22nd. And in the works are a bunch of great acts rumoured to be touring here soon, including the Breeders, the Rolling Stones, Blackalicious, Cat Power (solo Chan this time) and the Dirty Three.

Get Out!