You don’t have to be a trainspotter or J-line commuter to be interested in the redevelopment of the Johnsonville Line (though it undoubtedly helps). In any case, you shouldn’t miss your one and only opportunity tomorrow to walk the tracks between Crofton Downs station and the Wadestown crossing loop. Highlights include spectacular views of the gorge and a couple of spooky tunnels to explore.

For a sneak peek, here’s a video of the journey, complete with alarming squeaks and rattles and running commentary by an overexcited toddler, taken just before renovations began in earnest.

Clips of the rest of the trip are viewable over on YouTube, and you might also be interested in some photos of progress posted over at SkyscraperCity.

You will of course remember how last year the Phoenix Foundation’s gig in Frank Kitts Park was voted Best Live Performance at the TAWAs? Well this year, the Starry Nights concert on February 19 (during Webstock!) will feature the magnificant Fur Patrol, and of course since Miss Ratpony is such a fan, we have this gif as a gift for you: 

… but Fringe ’09 is just a week away, and there’s a lot to get excited about. We may have missed out on the chance to see some Aristophanes under the wharves, but here’s a couple of other things that we have our eyes on.

Lies and Other Stories Before Bed had a sneak peak/fundraiser event at Mighty Mighty last week, and it looks to be a riot. It will combine film and animation with live performance in the cozy surrounds of the Southern Cross, and with a plot that involves scary hallucinatory children, swingers’ parties and a European seductress it seems like just the sort of realistic kitchen-sink drama that we can all relate to. Or maybe that’s just me.

The musical line-up looks strong this year, too, and there are plenty of acts worth salivating over, but … oh my circuits: We Are The Robots! Disasteradio and TVDisKo will be familiar to many of us, but when you add in Hamilton’s most charismatic exports, The Trons, you know it’ll be a night of mechanical mayhem to savour. More info and YouTubular goodness over on Mukuna. I’m not normally a fan of garage rock, but when the band looks as if it’s actually been built in a garage, that’s another story.

Update: there’s been a slight change of line-up for We Are The Robots, with Heat Like Me replacing Disasteradio.

The Dominion Post ran an piece yesterday entitled Wellington Cup Day fashion winner disqualified

He was judged the best dressed man on Wellington Cup Day, but now a stewards’ inquiry has put Johnny Godinet back with the also-rans.

The Wellington gym owner, who has links to chief cup day sponsor Terry Serepisos, was stripped of the title of Rembrandt Man of the Carnival after it was found he failed to enter the event properly.

Heavens to Betsy! He wasn’t wearing a hat or a tie! The comments on Stuff are divided on his outfit, but the Fly is merely surprised to note that it appears that it is 1993 and Trillini is now open for business again…

 via Spleen…

I was on the Mt Vic bus yesterday afternoon, and there were two very loud young men in the back seat behind me.

"Lincoln was gay you know."

"No way."

"Yeah, he fucked men bro."

"How do you know?"

"It’s knowledge, bro."

If you’re already on Twitter, we imagine that you already know that the Wellingtonista has a twitter stream.

Well now like a moth to a flame, the Masked Barfly has decided to get in on the action with its own brand of insider gossip. If that’s your thing, follow the fly!

This weekend Aucklanders Los Hories visit Wellington (via tenacious teeny Wanganui venue the Eye of Night) to celebrate the release of their debut long-player What’s the Time!?

The title comes from drummer Kim‘s penchant for wandering out from behind the kit – often taking parts of it with him – to eyeball the crowd and demand the same question of them; the correct crowd response being, of course, "It’s Horie time!!".

They’re bringing Palmy’s tractor enthusiast and house party king Boss Christ, and are joined by tough-talking locals Knife Fight – 2/3rds of whom relocate to Melbourne in March, so catch them while you can.

Saturday 31st January

The Adelaide, Adelaide Rd, Newtown