Bands popping off in Pōneke: Baldleaf

I am a massive fan of early shoegaze like Slowdive, My Bloody Valentine, Ride, and really anything with that ethereal, dreamlike quality that transports you from your bedroom or local venue into the clouds. For this reason I was extremely excited to discover the music of Baldleaf, self described “5 chip 1 fish”, and their […]

Bands popping off in Pōneke: Debt Club

Debt Club is a band whose sound has gone through a major evolution since their origins as high school friends in “The Classic”. Undergoing some changes in their original lineup, their sound has also moved from more traditional classic rock to an eclectic mix of indie, folk rock and alternative country. In an impressive live […]

Bands popping off in Pōneke: Mall Goth

“I’m having a nervous breakdown on stage, if it was anywhere else you would think I was crazy. But I’ve somehow managed to trick you into thinking it’s cool. Unless you think we suck, I guess, that’s okay too,” says lead singer of Mall Goth on stage at San Fran, where the band is becoming […]

Review: Hamlet – One Hour. Three Actors. Denmark Will Never Be the Same

As someone who’s never read or seen a performance of Hamlet, I might seem like an unlikely reviewer for TheJoMarsh’s adaptation at Bats Theatre. However, if I, with my inexperience, can easily follow and enjoy ‘Hamlet – One Hour. Three Actors. Denmark Will Never Be the Same,’ then anyone can. In this high-tech, dystopian take […]

soup and a scone at Arlo

Best of the Week: May 18-25

Our weekly wrap-up of what’s good,  this time featuring featuring Emma, Joanna and Tom Emma’s bests Best theatre: Farce Onion at BATS – a deeply warming joyous nonsense improvised time Best vibes: Stillwater – I only had a drink there with some mates so I can’t speak to the efficacy of their coffee or food […]

Review: Homemade Takeaways

I don’t think anyone will disagree with me that it’s been one hell of a year, and Christmas is descending on us fast.  So it seemed completely appropriate to be watching a show about people who’ve had a hell of a year, too, drawn together at Christmas. Annie and Will have gravitated back to the […]

Review: Olive Copperbottom

Leaving Circa on Wednesday after the opening night of Olive Copperbottom, one of the many things I was feeling was deep regret that it was the very first of Penny Ashton’s shows that I’d seen, and I’d missed so many others.  Ashton is a bright light.  Her energy, her wit, and her joy were incandescent […]

Review: Macbeth

I went into Macbeth at the St James completely cold – I know Verdi’s later operas, including his later Shakespeare operas; Otello and Falstaff.  But I’ve somehow missed Macbeth, and decided to keep it that way, I guess because it’s so exciting to go into something completely fresh and new, even if it was written […]

The Weight of a Thousand Oceans – review & giveaway

Wellington writers increasingly (and entirely justifiably) are viewing the ongoing climate disaster as a rich source of material for creating intriguing, imaginative speculative fiction. Based in future worlds where humanity has failed to stop a catastrophic, civilization-altering change in the climate system, these stories of what might be, if we don’t sort our shit out, […]

Review: The Look Of Love

I’ve seen Ali Harper before, at Old St Paul’s in 2012, and I was struck by her humour and professionalism then.  It was a fun night out with my Robot Mum and we both enjoyed hearing songs we knew, and some we didn’t, performed by someone who knew her craft and was super skilled. On […]