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Tuesday, December 31, 2019

Murray Cammick is awarded NZ Order of Merit

Co-founder of seminal Kiwi music mag Rip It Up and Audiocuture, blogger, journalist and photographer has been awarded an NZ Order of Merit as part of this year's New Year's Honours List. 

https://i.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/music/112854544/nz-music-magazine-rip-it-up-gets-digital-makeover


Thursday, December 12, 2019

WOMAD 2020 Day Schedule Available

Click to enlarge
In what has become a welcome pre-Christmas tradition,  WOMAD New Zealand has today announced the 2020 festival Day Schedule. The full stage schedule will be released in January 2020, including the World Of Words, Taste The World, STEAM Lab and on-site performance schedules.

 See your festival favourites perform twice or schedule your weekend around the exclusive one-off performances. The highly anticipated reggae icon Ziggy Marley will be performing once on Friday night, as will jazz, soul, funk fusion group Hiatus Kaiiyote. Folk award-winning Laura Marling will make a one-off appearance on Saturday as will Aotearoas reggae, electronic, blues, rock, and funk supergroup L.A.B. Closing off what promises to be a very special weekend, the Ambassador of African music Salif Keita will perform one of his last shows ever on Sunday.  The Spinoff accurately reported on the back of the sold-out 2018 festival that, "WOMAD would never be so cruel as to only play things once, so most acts put on repeat performances over the weekend allowing you the chance to customise an itinerary that would rival an around the world music trip."

 WOMAD New Zealand 2020, welcomes double performances from the living legends of gospel, The Blind Boys Of Alabama, the mesmerising harp-kora duo of Catrin Finch & Sokou Keita, Maloya dance group Destyn Maloya, the Ezra Collective - hot off the UK jazz scene, the all-female Mexican mariachi ensemble Flor de Toloache, energetic brass band Hot Potato Band and the rhythmic trance group Ifriqiyya Electrique. Explosive eight-strong Belgium ensemble KernesZ á l'Est, genre-bending Janggu player Kim So Ra, Ghanian kologo star King Ayisoba, the Brazilian black soul and samba group Liniker e os Caramelows and Indian Classical maestro L Subramaniam will all play twice throughout the festival.

 Also scheduled for more than one performance is the empowering Greek-Sudanese multi-talent Marina Satti & her group Fońes, Japanese folk group Minyo Crusanders, the Cuban 12-piece big band Orquesta Akokán, Scottish folk music ensemble RURA and Finnish vocal folk hop singers Tuuletar. Trio de Kali, a young supergroup from Mali is scheduled to perform two sets, one with New Zealand's classic ensemble The Black Quartet.

 Representing Aotearoa, Albi & the Wolves, Reb Fountain, Soaked Oats, and Troy Kingi are all scheduled for repeat performances over the three days and The Black Quartet are set to play twice, once in a highlight performance with Trio Da Kali (Mali). From when the gates open at 4.30pm on Friday, March 13th until the last act finishes at 11.45pm Sunday, March 15th, 2019, the stunning 55-acre Brooklands Park and the TSB Bowl of Brooklands is filled with thousands of happy people for a late summer indulgence in world music, food and dance.

Book now - get that Xmas present sorted!

www.womad.co.nz


Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Seven new acts announced forWOMAD New Zealand 2020

Today, WOMAD New Zealand is very excited to add seven new performers to a lineup already brimming with top tier talent.

Flor de Toloache (Mexico/USA), Ifriqiyya Electrique (Maghreb/Europe), KermesZ à l'Est (Belgium),
Laura Marling (UK), Marina Satti & Fońes (Greece/Sudan), The Black Quartet (Aotearoa/NZ), Troy Kingi (Aotearoa/NZ).


The first all-women Mariachi group Flor de Toloache will be joined by Maghrebi/European outfit Ifriqiyya Electrique who infuse industrial post-punk and techno with the traditional Banga music of the Tunisian desert. KermesZ à l'Est, eight long-haired metallers without guitars from Belgium will perform alongside the Brit award-winning, folk singer-songwriter Laura Marling and Marina Satti a Greek-Sudanese emerging star who represents hope. Local artists, award-winning Troy Kingi will be performing the deep roots/reggae music from his latest album Holy Colony Burning Acres and The Black Quartet ensemble will bring their contemporary touch to classical music to round off the 2020 festivals incredible lineup.

WOMAD New Zealand is famous for bringing together artists from all over the globe for a vibrant showcase of the world's many forms of music, arts, and dance. The 2020 festival is no exception and will feature close to 100 hours of music, dance and voices across eight stages. Over three days Ngāmotu's stunning Brooklands Park and the TSB Bowl of Brooklands will once again be transformed into a village of colour, energy and inclusion. 

WOMAD New Zealand 2020 features 28 cutting edge performers and world-class musicians from every corner of the planet, delivering fresh new takes on traditional music. And come March 2020, multi-award-winning, solo artists, duos, trios and 12-piece brass bands from around the globe will come together to perform at WOMAD New Zealand. Finnish Beatboxing, Maloyan Dance and Black Samba will join hands with Reggae, Rap, Folk, Funk, Jazz, Soul, Classical and Afrobeat to celebrate the world's differences. Pioneering young artists alongside inspirational icons are set to promote acceptance, joy, love, hope and change via the universal language of mankind, music. 
 
WOMAD New Zealand is very proud to present, for the 16th year anniversary of the festival (in alphabetical order)
 
Albi & The Wolves (Aotearoa/NZ), Blind Boys of Alabama (USA), Catrin Finch & Seckou Keita (Wales/Senegal), Destyn Maloya (Réunion), Ezra Collective (UK), Flor de Toloache (Mexico/USA), Hiatus Kaiyote (Australia), Hot Potato Band (Australia), Ifriqiyya Electrique (Maghreb/Europe), KermesZ à l'Est (Belgium), Kim So Ra (South Korea), King Ayisoba (Ghana), L.A.B. (Aotearoa/NZ), Laura Marling (UK), Liniker e os Caramelows (Brazil), L Subramaniam (India), Marina Sattir & Fońes (Greece/Sudan), Ziggy Marley (Jamaica), Minyo Crusaders (Japan), Orquesta Akokán (Cuba), Reb Fountain (Aotearoa/NZ), RURA (Scotland), Salif Keita (Mali), Soaked Oats (Aotearoa/NZ), The Black Quartet (Aotearoa/NZ), Trio Da Kali (Mali), Troy Kingi (Aotearoa/NZ) Tuuletar (Finland).

The ever-expanding World Of Words stage, now held on the sun-drenched lawn of the Kunming Garden will be hosting poets, musical legends, authors, entertainers, comedians and educators to leave you both thinking and laughing. 
 
The WOMAD New Zealand World Of Words 2020 stage (in alphabetical order)

Dave Fane (Aotearoa/NZ), Joanne Drayton (Aotearoa/NZ), Ken Arkind (USA), Mike Chunn (Aotearoa/NZ), Miriam Lancewood (Aotearoa/NZ), Penny Ashton (Aotearoa/NZ), Selina Tusitala Marsh (Aotearoa/NZ), Shayne Carter (Aotearoa/NZ), Te Radar (Aotearoa/NZ).

WOMAD New Zealand is also elated to announce two new additions to the festival for 2020. 

STEAM Lab
Being hosted on a brand new stage in the tranquil setting of the Pinetum is WOMAD New Zealand's first-ever STEAM Lab. Come and hear speakers from Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics fields talk about incredible breakthroughs and their journey of innovation. 

BOOK CLUB 
Introducing WOMAD New Zealand's inaugural Book Club. The book chosen for the 2020 festival is We Can Make A Life by Chessie Henry. Book Club aims to bring people together to express their perspectives and explore the themes within the book while getting insights from Chessie herself.

WOMAD New Zealand remains a place to bring artists together from all over the globe to break down barriers, educate, inform and inspire. Come and lose yourself in the sights, sounds, and tastes that blend together to make up the vibrant WOMAD experience! 

Monday, November 25, 2019

CubaDupa Returns to the Streets with a Beautiful Disruption 

Wellington’s favourite neighbourhood comes alive with colour, art, music, parades, dance, food, and thousands of creative people the weekend of 
28-29 March 2020 WELLINGTON, NZ


All of New Zealand is invited to celebrate the country’s most vibrant and creative street festival, CubaDupa, disrupting the heart of Wellington on 28 and 29 March 2020. The multi-arts programme returns to the streets in a big and beautiful way—with a dozen stages, over 100 food stalls, special creative zones, 100,000 friends and neighbours, and one beautiful disruption after the other.   

“Our iconoclastic Te Aro neighbourhood will be filled with sights and sounds, parades and drum beats, street installations and public art”, says Festival Director Gerry Paul, who has programmed the most ambitious CubaDupa ever. “And at the heart of it all, ready to transcend the ordinary, are over 1500 artists and performers from the region and around the world”.     

Music is the very core of CubaDupa, and there will be no shortage of aural disruption in 2020. The festival will present a diverse free live music programme showcasing almost every genre. VNZMA winner Troy Kingi brings his irresistible galactic funk, alongside rising Hip Hop star JessB. Contemporary Canadian folk group The East Pointers join the party with their high-energy take on the Celtic tradition.

Making the trip from across the ditch are Bullhorn, an epic 10-piece brass ensemble fronted by the extraordinary rapper Roman MC. Local groove masters Dr Reknaw and emerging New Zealand rockers H4lf Cast add their grooves to the weekend celebration.     Musicians, sound experiences, and immersive electronic wizardry become a cornerstone of the 2020 CubaDupa with the festival’s most ambitious project ever, Cubasonic.

The mass musical interruption—conceived by New Zealand’s leading composer John Psathas—involves nearly 500 musicians lining the street, twelve conductors above the crowd, a custom-made overhead sound system, and a locally-invented Tesla coil synthesiser known as Chime Red.  

Defying words, Cubasonic will be presented once each day—uniting the entire festival site with a ten-minute musical happening unlike anything ever attempted in New Zealand. The project is a true partnership of creative community, generously supported by Creative New Zealand and involving Orchestra Wellington, New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, Royal New Zealand Air Force Band, The Nudge, Boat and a mass of Batucada drummers.     

“CubaDupa is one of Wellington’s primary lightning rods, generating and releasing a massive, positive energy charge into the city every year,” says Psathas. “Festivals offer unique opportunities for ambitious ideas. At their best they give us experiences we never forget, experiences that exceed our expectations both in the witnessing of art and in the moments of massed connection that sneak up and take us by surprise. Cubasonic, played throughout the heart of Cuba Street, will be vast, epic, and monumental.”   

The 2020 musical acts will be presented across twelve stages, including the brand new Radio Active Upper Cuba SoundSphere, Wellington Airport Swan Lane, the Garage Project Wild Workshop stage, and a Glover Park zone designed in partnership with Massey University’s College of Creative Arts.  

“Festival audiences can experience an abundance of music, dance, street theatre and art activations taking place throughout our Te Aro precinct” says Paul.  “After finding your groove with JessB or Bullhorn, join The Ping Pong Party People in a wildly creative table tennis championship, visit Shabby Salon for a drop-dead gorgeous makeover, then jump into the Weddings-and-Funerals installation.”

Another new element making its debut at the 2020 CubaDupa is the Mammoth Circus Tent in the Wilson Carpark on Ghuznee St. The bold and colourful venue will host energetic performances and workshops for all ages by day, and transform into a saucy cabaret show by night.  

“It's part of our desire to grow the festival in new ways, add interesting platforms, and showcase even more artistry and performers from all around the world” says Paul. “Families will experience circus shows by fabulous acts like COLOSSAL Productions, 3 Speed Crunch Box or Seven Deadly Stunts during the day, and then the older crowd can enjoy comedy and more provocative cabaret after dark”.

A theme running through much of the 2020 CubaDupa programme is Intergalactic Madness—alien visitors, strange messages, and wondrous disruptions from other worlds. Big Nazo will invade from Rhode Island, with generous support from the Embassy of the United States of America, for their debut visit to New Zealand.

The outlandish collective of visual artists, puppet performers and costumed musicians will bring their alien creatures to the streets and stages of CubaDupa. Closer to home, Alien Junk Monsters add their psychedelic recycled trash costumes—and a few new otherworldly offspring. And for the first time ever CubaDupa will play host to BodyPalooza, a new national body paint competition featuring over 30 artists and models painted as alien visitors.  

“There’s an eclectic and eye-opening experience for everyone at CubaDupa, because it’s a fearless celebration of who we are as a diverse and creative city, and what we have in this iconic neighbourhood”, says Eric Holowacz, CEO of Creative Capital Arts Trust. “Whether you are into new bands, raucous parades, or the search for extraterrestrial life, CubaDupa has it. I love it, because the weekend is always a highlight of the summertime, and an immersion in culture, creativity, and community.”

For culinary disruptions that satisfy any appetite, the Moore Wilson’s Street Feast returns to CubaDupa, with over 100 food stalls and a diverse range of local vendors and culinary experiences.  

“CubaDupa is going to be the highlight of our upcoming tour in New Zealand”, says Koady Chaisson, of Canadian contemporary indie folk music trio The East Pointers.

“We love playing in New Zealand, as there are a lot of similarities to our home in Prince Edward Island, but we don’t have anything like CubaDupa. We’ve heard such amazing things about this festival – this is going to take things in NZ to the next level. We can’t wait to get to Wellington and help light it up”

The 2020 festival will take place on 28 and 29 March throughout the Cuba Street Precinct in the Te Aro neighbourhood of Wellington. To learn more about artists, programming, and opportunities at the 2020 CubaDupa, visit www.cubadupa.co.nz.   

CubaDupa is presented by the non-profit Creative Capital Arts Trust, and receives essential support from WellingtonNZ, Wellington Regional Amenities Fund, Wellington City Council, Wellington Airport, Cato Brand Partners, and generous sponsors such as ANZ, Kāpura/Wellington Hospitality Group, Creative New Zealand, ZM, The Wellington Company, Massey University College of Creative Arts, LightHouse Cinemas, Wellington Community Trust, Havana Coffee Works, Rogue & Vagabond, Fortune Favours, Garage Project, Orchestra Wellington, NZSO, Royal New Zealand Air Force Band, Victoria University, Embassy of the United States of America, Australian High Commission, Embassy of Ireland | New Zealand, Wellington Night Market, Wilson Parking and KPMG.


Friday, November 15, 2019

CELEBRATING THE BEST OF KIWI MUSIC AT THE 54TH VODAFONE NEW ZEALAND MUSIC AWARDS | NGĀ TOHU PUORO O AOTEAROA

Photo: Soundcloud

“The calibre of talent just keeps getting better each year with more and more of our talented Kiwi musicians making an impact both in Aotearoa and abroad. We’re consistently impressed by the creativity, skill and expertise of our musicians and New Zealand should be incredibly proud. 

The Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards give us a chance to acknowledge this as well as encourage aspiring and emerging artists to continue forging their music journey.” 

Recorded Music NZ CEO Damian Vaughan


Pop sensation BENEE made her mark on the New Zealand music history tonight, taking home four Tui at the 54th Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards at Spark Arena in Auckland.

The nineteen-year-old was awarded Best Solo Artist | Te Kaipuoro Takitahi Toa and Vodafone Single of the Year | Te Waiata Tōtahi o te Tau on the back of her certified platinum debut single ‘Soaked’.



She also claimed the The Edge Best Pop Artist | Te Kaipuoro Arotini Toa and Smirnoff Breakthrough Artist of the Year | Te Kaituhura Puoro Toa o te Tau for her latest album 'FIRE ON MARZZ'.

Hip hop meets jazz in Avantdale Bowling Club’s self-titled debut album by Tom Scott which received two Tui including the coveted THREE Album of the Year | Te Pukaemi o te Tau and Best Hip Hop Artist | Te Kaipuoro Hipihope Toa. The album, which hit #1 in the Official New Zealand Music Charts, was conceptualised by artist Tom Scott along with talented musicians who brought each song to life. He also performed ‘Home’ with the Avondale Intermediate School Choir, an homage the school he attended in his youth.



Also picking up two Tui was indie pop band The Beths for Best Group | Te Roopu Toa and Best Alternative Artist | Te Kaipuoro Manohi Toa, following the success of their debut album 'Future Me Hates Me' in 2018. The four-piece band has been taking New Zealand and the world by storm, with sell-out shows across New Zealand, Europe and the UK.



For the second year in a row veterans Six60 picked up Highest Selling Artist| Te Toa Hoko Teitei, NZ On Air Radio Airplay Record of the Year | Te Rikoata Marakerake o te Tau, and the Vodafone People’s Choice | Te Kōwhiri o te Nuinga awards, further cementing their place as a Kiwi favourite.

As a result of the success of the third instalment of Troy Kingi’s ambitious plan to release 10 albums in 10 years, Troy Kingi, alongside his band The Upperclass, deservedly received Te Māngai Pāho Best Māori Artist | Te Kaipuoro Māori Toa and Best Roots Artist | Te Kaipuoro Taketake Toa for the album 'Holy Colony Burning Acres'.



Legacy award | Tohu Whakareretanga and NZ Music Hall of Fame | The Whare Taonga Puoro o Aotearoa inductees Th’ Dudes reformed to play their own tribute performance, a medley of their classic Kiwi songs – including 'Bliss', 'Be Mine Tonight' and 'Walking in Light'. They were joined by special guests Rikki Morris, the brother of the late Ian Morris, as well as Ian’s daughters Julia and Maude of LEXXA, capping off an amazing night of celebrating Aotearoa’s booming music scene.



After their four-year hiatus, Auckland rockers Villainy released their highly anticipated third album 'Raised in the Dark', winning them Best Rock Artist | Te Kaipuoro Rakapioi Toa, while Bailey Wiley, who is soon to embark on a nationwide tour, won KFC Best Soul/RnB Artist | Te Kaipuoro Awe Toa following the release of her self-titled EP.

Also taking home awards tonight was internationally renowned TALI who received ROVA Best Electronic Artist | Te Kaipuoro Tāhiko Toa for her latest album Love & Migration, Harbourside Worship who received Best Worship Artist | Te Kaipuoro Kairangi Toa for their new EP Collide and Simon O’Neill who won Best Classical Artist | Te Kaipuoro Inamata Toa for his album Distant Beloved.

Big winners at last year awards, Drax Project received the Recorded Music NZ International Achievement | Tohu Tutuki o te Ao for the success of their single ‘Woke Up Late’, which went double platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association and has more than 70 million streams on Spotify to date.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Brett McKenzie, Laurie Anderson and Neko Case will be at the Festival!


Late last week, at two special events held in the banquet hall at Parliament in Wellington, Creative Director Marnie Karmelita presented the programme for New Zealand Festival Of The Arts 2020. The programme has an extra special angle to it this time with three guest curators putting together mini programmes.

Director and Choreographer Lemi Ponifasio has put together a range of music and dance shows such as Chosen and Beloved, a vast and spectacular reworking of Goreki’s Symphony No.3 Symphony of Sorrowful Songs and Jerusalem written by Ponifasio and inspired by the great Middle Eastern Adonis (Ali Ahmad Said Esber). The second guest curator will be well known to music fans and art fans alike.

Laurie Anderson made her mark in the mid-80’s with avant garde pop such as Language Is A Virus and the boundary smashing O Superman. She’s worked with Kronos Quartet, Philip Glass and Lou Reed. One of her works at the festival, Here Comes The Ocean, is a concert that interprets Reed’s music and Anderson’s words using an ensemble of musicians.

Reed will also be ‘present’ in the exhibition Drones, which features his guitars hooked up to a sonically awesome feedback loop. Anderson has a personal connection to Aotearoa, as her niece was tragically killed in a traffic accident. Her returning will be marked by a special improvisation and incantatory work called The Calling, dedicated to Thea Anderson. Even more exciting is a new free free flying VR experience, which takes participants on a lunar expedition. To The Moon will definitely by one to smash the walls of conventional art down. Finally, another performance is her Concert For Dogs. A free event where our canine friends are all invited along (followed by a film she’s made about her own beloved mutt, Lolabelle).

The third curator is also well known. Brett McKenzie doesn’t really need an introduction. Comedian, Actor, composer and all round nice Wellingtonian he adds a bit of grounding to the festival. He’s worked with artists Kemi Neko and & Co to produce a series of miniature huts to discover around the Kapiti Coast. These are an expansion of an earlier project that made tiny tramping huts based on real DOC buildings and hid them around the city for eager explorers to discover. McKenzie himself has scored a bit of a coup composing the music for the National Theatre’s (UK) upcoming work The Brief and Frightening Reign of Phil by George Sanders. This is a work in progress and festival goers will be able to get in on the prototype of the work even before UK audiences see it. Also in McKenzie’s programme is Netherlands based comedy virtuoso Släpstick, who were a major hit at the recent Edinburgh Festival. And there are also a pile of late night gigs where musicians get to try out new material.

The programme includes Estère, Nadia Reid, Jazz musicians John McLaughlin and L.Shankar, Aldous Harding, Weyes Blood and Purple Pilgrims. Poet and musician Kate Tempest will make her mark, too.

Finally, the most exciting news we leave until last. The New Pornographers will be here – including Neko Case – performing their new album In the Morse Code of Brake Lights. There’s plenty more, of course, from opera to dance to programmes for the deaf to schools programme and public art exhibitions.

Check it all out at : https://www.festival.nz/

Tuesday, November 05, 2019

NZ Music T-Shirt Day



NZ Music T-Shirt Day is a massive nationwide celebration on Friday 8 November of kiwi music and the power music has to make a positive difference in our lives.

It celebrates our kiwi music legends and our amazing emerging talent.   MusicHelps is a unique charity that uses the power of music to help and heal New Zealanders in need.

Their work spans music therapy in hospices and hospitals, projects that use music to address the problems faced by at-risk and vulnerable people, as well as initiatives that help & support disabled people, right from the far north to the deep south of Aotearoa. MusicHelps also provides emergency assistance to kiwi music people around the country experiencing illness, distress and hardship.

Whether you are an artist, music worker or music lover, we invite you to make a donation, and then post and share your best NZ band t-shirt pics, using the hashtags #nzmusictshirtday, @musichelpsnz.

Just hit the donate button, or check out more at https://www.nzmusictshirtday.org.nz/

They’ve also developed a kiwi music general knowledge quiz, our “Waxing Lyrical” guess the song lyric game, as well as a music video artist and track guessing game to challenge your friends, family or colleagues at morning tea, during lunch, or even over Friday night drinks on the 8th.

You’ll be able to access these once you have created your team page.   Don't have a NZ artist t-shirt? Then don’t worry.  JB Hi-Fi, Bravado and seven of our greatest music artists are here to help you. Th’ Dudes, Herbs, Lorde, Six60, Shihad, Split Enz and True Bliss have all generously donated brilliant designs for a set of exclusive, limited edition NZ Music T-Shirt Day shirts which are available in all JB HiFi Stores right now.   

 More information can be found here: https://www.nzmusictshirtday.org.nz/  

Monday, November 04, 2019

Definitive Punk Record AK79 Turns 40!!!

December 2019 marks the 40 year anniversary of an important record in NZ history, AK79.
Within the grooves of this historical landmark compilation lies a connection to our musical whakapapa as New Zealanders and music lovers. A defining record, having captured a raw snapshot of the punk subculture in Auckland during the late 70s, the much-loved compilation is a living, breathing statement of what came before today.

Toy Love
 Raw, unfiltered, shambolic madness. The vision to capture the scene began with Bryan Staff (Head of Ripper Records) who saw reason to capture the music coming out of the local punk venues of the time.

Originally released by Ripper Records in December 1979, bands that featured on the original pressing included The Swingers, The Scavengers, The Primmers, Proud Scum, Toy Love and The Terrorways. The abrasive and empowered response to the overindulgent progressive rock and glam rock music of the 70s, speaking out and saying something for the working class youth of today, in one of the most important times in New Zealand ‘rock’ history.

Ok, so not our usual Lounge record.  But the start of something. 

Proud Scum
Back in the day I thrashed this one on student radio Station Radio Active.  And before that I listened on my walkman radio to the station playing those great songs.  You could only get the station when you were in town (it's coverage was only citywide around Wellington back then).  So, I'd usually listen to it walking around the city, to and from the Railway Station on my way to holiday jobs, dates at the movies and the School bus to Miramar.

When I finally got to Uni I found my way to Active's record bins and secured my copy of this gem.  We were allowed to take home records (borrowed) to listen to them and select the best songs.  I loved the Scavengers' Mysterex, Proud Scum's Suicide and of course, Toy Love's Squeeze

The Swingers
The original master was discarded in 1982, which only created a demand for this enigmatic record. Responding to the call, an expanded version of AK79 arose, released only on CD by Simon Grigg and Roger Shepherd as a joint release by Propeller Records and Flying Nun Records in 1993. This time there were some late additions, including tracks from The Suburban Reptiles, The Spelling Mistakes, The Features and The Marching Girls, along with additional tracks from the first pressing. This particular reissue was remastered and mixed by Grigg, and came bundled with additional liner notes by Grigg, Staff and The Terrorways’ own Kerry Buchanan.
Forty years on from its initial release, the spirit of the record still packs a punch and the feeling captured in these recordings are as relevant as ever.

TRACKLIST:

The Scavengers - Mysterex
The Terrorways - Never Been To Borstal
Proud Scum - I Am A Rabbit
The Scavengers - True Love
Proud Scum - Suicide
 The Terrorways - She’s A Mod
The Swingers - Certain Sound
The Primmers - Funny Stories
Toy Love - Squeeze
The Swingers - Baby
 The Primmers - You’re Gonna Get Done
Toy Love - Toy Love Song
Suburban Reptiles - Megaton
Suburban Reptiles - Coup D'etat
The Scavengers - Routine
Proud Scum - Suicide 2
The Terrorways - Short Haired Rock And Roll
Toy Love - Frogs
Suburban Reptiles - Saturday Night Stay At Home
Features - City Scenes
The Spelling Mistakes - Feel So Good
Marching Girls - First In Line
 The Spelling Mistakes - Hate Me Hate Me
Features - Victim
Marching Girls - True Love

The Anniversary version will cost a pretty penny but well worth it https://flyingout.co.nz/collections/pre-orders/products/ak79-40th-anniversary-edition?utm_source=Great+Sounds+Great&utm_campaign=de829d98ca-WEEKLY_NEWSLETTER_11812_17_2015_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_d72844f78b-de829d98ca-141675065&mc_cid=de829d98ca&mc_eid=eda989f7e5

Friday, October 25, 2019

Exclusive Concert Photos of Folky Sensations Shooglenifty

Our roving photographer Trevor Villers caught Shooglenifty's set at the Tuning Fork in Auckland last night.  Shooglenifty are a Scottish, Edinburgh-based six-piece Celtic fusion band, that tours internationally. The band blends Scottish traditional music with influences ranging from electronica to alternative rock. They contributed to Afro Celt Sound System's 1996 album Volume 1: Sound Magic.

Shooglenifty was formed in 1990 by musicians from the Scottish Highlands, Orkney and Edinburgh, its bright spark was the idea of fusing traditional and traditional-sounding melodies with the beats and basslines of a mixed bag of more contemporary influences.



As happy playing a small highland village hall as they are on an outdoor festival stage playing to tens of thousands, the Shoogles (as they’re known to their fans) have promoted Scottish music all over the world for more nearly three decades. Their 2018 album, 'Written in Water', with Dhun Dhora, attracted five-star reviews and a coveted slot in music bible Mojo’s Top Ten Folk Albums of the Year. In 2019 Shooglenifty (with Tanxugueiras) released their timely humanitarian anthem 'East West' and are currently working hard on their ninth studio album slated for release in their 30th anniversary year: 2020.

Trevor told us "The Breakers were playing next door, so it got a bit exciting.  They won and so did we.  These fellows (the band)were sublime!  No better knees up to be had."









Photos by Trevor Villers - http://villers.co.nz/

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Wellyfest - the Wellington Folk Festival is on this weekend!



Wellyfest, the Wellington Folk Festival, is 55 years old this year, making it the longest running festival of its kind in the country, and it’s still going strong.

Running over this Labour Weekend (Friday October 25 to Monday 28) at the Brookfield Outdoor Education Centre,in Moores Valley, near Wainuiomata.



Wellyfest 2019 will have a jam-packed programme of concerts, workshops and dance events, and has attracted an impressive line-up of performers from here and overseas. Acts include include the Kiwi-Aussie duo Victoria Vigenser and Lindsay Martin, who as “We Mavericks”, play wild, original folk.

Also from over the ditch the festival hosts The Good Girl Song Project and The Bearded Cat. Award-winning New Zealand song writer, Jenny Mitchell, will be there playing her own blend of alt-country, folk and Americana.  Lower Hutt heros and Wellington-based trio, Across the Great Divide, will perform its unique fusion of Celtic, American and Scandinavian music.


The Chaps, from Dunedin, are give us some highly entertaining and energetic stage time.  They describe their style of music as “cowboy lounge”.  This we gotta see! 


The Skiffy Rivets from Auckland deliver harmonies with a swing. Songwriter Alan Downes will bring his mostly true tales from the back country and the rising young New Zealand poet, Jessie Fenton will also be performing.

But for those who need to rock rock, there’s local band Grumblewood, who combine a unique mix of baroque, jazz and traditional folk elements with vintage rock.  In true Jethro Tull style they produce electric folk and progressive early '70s vibes that'll have you spinning all night. 

The Wellyfest is big on participation, with blackboard concerts, singarounds,the big Saturday dance with the hot young musicians from Vicfolk, a full youth programme and plenty of opportunity for jamming. Festival-goers can book for the whole weekend or come for a day, afternoon or evening.

There are plenty of camping spaces and facilities and there are also bunks available. The full programme and ticketing information is on the website: www.wellingtonfolkfestival.org.nz


Monday, October 21, 2019

Maker Faire - An amazing weekend experience




We were lucky enough to go to the 2nd Wellington Maker Faire over the weekend.  The event was exceptionally well attended.  Shed 6 and the foyer of the TSB Stadium were packed to the gunwales with punters keen to soak up knowledge.  Exhibitors ranged from LEGO geeks to drone racers to sewers and embroiders, Cosplay costumers and woodworkers.  My youngest took a shine to the sewing and enjoyed working on a stitching project.  My other daughter also was keen on the hands on activities, making a bee wax sandwich wrap and watched the 'stupid robot fighting'.  If there was one tiny niggle, I think it was how the event had seemed to outgrow the venue.  All of it should have fitted into the TSB arena and seemed a bit cramped.  Perhaps next year this will be addressed.

Maker Faire Wellington is brought to you by Capital E, New Zealand’s leading centre of creativity for children and young people. For 21 years we have provided creative experiences to the youngest citizens of Wellington that include theatre, digital technology, and immersive, never-seen-before installations and events that spark and encourage creative thinking and expression. To bring these experiences to life, our creative team work with talented Makers from Wellington and beyond, constructing wild creations that invite children to explore their imaginations.

Wellington Maker Faire is a celebration and showcase of the innovative, do-it-yourself work of the Maker community. This fun, family-friendly event is for Makers both young and young at heart, whether you’re a hobbyist, inventor, creator, tech-enthusiast, educator, performer, or crafter, you’ll enjoy experiencing the variety of maker-achievements on display at Wellington Maker Faire.

Who are Makers?  A Maker is anyone who creates, invents, tinkers or constructs with anything, code, technology, or traditional craft materials, in labs, garages, or home kitchens. Makers are everywhere!

Maker Faire originated in 2006 in the San Francisco Bay Area as a project of the editors of Make: magazine.  It has since grown into a significant worldwide network of both flagship and independently-produced events.  Read more on Maker Faire history, the Maker Movement, as well as how to start a Maker Faire or a School Maker Faire where you live.



Huge thanks to sputnik.co.nz for the tix. 

Friday, October 18, 2019

This Just In: A third curator for the Arts Festival!

Grammy Award-winning musician and multimedia artist Laurie Anderson will be the third Guest Curator for the New Zealand Festival of the Arts 2020. She's bringing a selection of works to Wellington including a concert that celebrates the ocean featuring Laurie onstage alongside long-time collaborators and Kiwi musicians; a VR experience that will see audience-goers taken on a virtual trip to the moon; and an installation of Laurie's late husband Lou Reid's guitars put on feedback loop creating a rich aural experience.


Laurie joins contemporary artist and acclaimed theatre-maker Lemi Ponifasio and Academy Award-winning composer, musician, actor, and comedian Bret McKenzie as the three guest curators for the 2020 New Zealand Festival of the Arts which runs 21 February until 15 March.  

WOW!

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Lala Simpson talks to the CoffeeBar Kid

The CoffeeBar Kid talks to Lala Simpson - a fun, energetic, creative and innovative song leader with a strong passion for music and a great sense of humour.

Lala will be presenting and running workshops at the upcoming Make Faire on Sunday 20 October at the TSB Arena. Lala hails from the exotic Island of Madagascar and has been making music since the day she was born - according to her parents!

She speaks 3 languages fluently and uses her love of languages and interest in other cultures to teach world music. She is able to work with groups of various ages and abilities, backgrounds and ethnicities adapting her teaching techniques to suit the groups she teaches.

www.lalasimpson.kiwi.nz / https://www.facebook.com/singingindri/

Lala is involved in many musical happenings in Wellington and is often asked to be one of the tutors for International Dance Day. Lala has acted as a guest conductor to various community choirs in Wellington. She travels around New Zealand teaching songs and dances from her homeland. Lala has worked as the choreographer for the Wellington Community Choir and has been recently appointed as one of their co-conductors.

Lala organizes inter-generational and cross-cultural interactive singing workshops at rest homes and Wellington City Libraries with the Manawa Ora Children Community Choir which she directs. She is committed to helping people discover their voice and works with individuals that think they can't sing or are afraid of singing.

She runs children's music classes and adult singing workshops in Wellington sharing songs from Madagascar and around the world. She is also a performer and is the lead singer of a quartet singing the songs of Edith Piaf and Jacques Brel.

Maker Faire is a gathering of fascinating, curious people who enjoy learning and who love sharing what they can do. From engineers to artists to scientists to crafters, Maker Faire is a venue for these "makers" to show hobbies, experiments, projects.

They call it the Greatest Show (& Tell) on Earth - a family-friendly showcase of invention, creativity, and resourcefulness.  Glimpse the future and get inspired!
Euan will presenting at the upcoming Maker Faire brought to you by Capital E.
It will be on at Wellington's TSB Arena Sunday 20 October.

The CoffeeBar Kid will also be there, taking photos and will report
back to you about what goes on.




Tuesday, October 15, 2019

WOMAD 2020 Artists Announced



Tonight WOMAD 2020 Artists are announced: A political Jamaican Reggae icon (Ziggy Marley), an ambassador of African music (Salif Keita  ), masters of gospel (Blind Boys of Alabama) and a group of seasoned musicians from Aotearoa are just a few of the heavy-hitting performers announced for WOMAD New Zealand 2020.

At a ceremony held at Parliament tonight and hosted by the MP for New Plymouth, Jonathan Young and Justice Minister Andrew Little the line-up for WOMAD 2020 was announced.
Last year, the Prime Minister was due to open WOMAD.  However only an hour before the awful news of the shootings in Christchurch came through, changing our nation forever.  That terrible incident affected the mood and vibe of WOMAD 2018.

Taranaki Arts Festival CEO Suzanne Porter (responsible for WOMAD) remembers having to make the tough call to continue.  “It was a difficult decision, but it would have been like giving in.  We wanted to show the world that we stood for diversity and celebration of all cultures.” Andrew Little, reminiscing on his speech last year, when he had to stand in for the Prime Minister at short notice, summed up the sentiment in his speech tonight, acknowledging that there is a time to grieve, a time to cry, a time to heal and a time to dance.  WOMAD is that time, he said.

WOMAD New Zealand is famous for bringing together artists from all over the globe for a
vibrant showcase of the world's many forms of music, arts, and dance.The 2020 festival is no exception and will feature close to 100 hours of music, dance and voices across eight stages. Over three days Ngāmotu's stunning  Brooklands Park and the TSB Bowl of Brooklands will once again be transformed into a village of colour, energy and inclusion.

Joining the already announced mesmerising duo of Welsh harpist Catrin Finch & Senegalese kora player Seckou Keita and the living legends of gospel music Blind Boys of Alabama are twenty cutting edge performers and world-class musicians from every corner of the planet.

Delivering fresh new takes on traditional music are multi-award-winning, solo artists, duos, trios and 12-piece brass bands from around the globe. Finnish Beatboxing, Maloyan Dance and Black Samba will join hands with Reggae, Rap, Folk, Funk Jazz, Soul, Classical and Afrobeat to celebrate the world's differences. Pioneering young artists alongside inspirational icons will come together across the weekend to promote acceptance, joy, love, hope and change via the universal language of mankind, music.

WOMAD New Zealand is very proud to present, for the 16th year anniversary of the festival (in alphabetical order)

Albi & The Wolves (Aotearoa/NZ), Blind Boys of Alabama (USA), Catrin Finch & Seckou Keita (Wales/Senegal), Destyn Maloya (Réunion), Ezra Collective (UK), Hiatus Kaiyote (Australia), Hot Potato Band (Australia), Kim So Ra (South Korea), King Ayisoba (Ghana), L.A.B. (Aotearoa/NZ), Liniker e os Caramelows (Brazil), L Subramaniam (India), Ziggy Marley (Jamaica), Minyo Crusaders (Japan), Muthoni Drummer Queen (Kenya/France), Orquesta Akokán (Cuba), Reb Fountain (Aotearoa/NZ), RURA ( Scotland), Salif Keita (Mali), Soaked Oats (Aotearoa/NZ), Trio Da Kali (Mali), Tuuletar (Finland).




Friday, October 11, 2019

Guitar inventor Euan Christie talks to the CoffeeBar Kid ahead of Maker Faire Wellington



Euan Christie has been making banjos and ukuleles with old tins, boxes, wood, metal, cutlery and various other salvaged bits of things at my house in Wellington, New Zealand for the last couple of years.
Each instruments is completely unique with its own distinctive sound and charming character. Every instrument has been imagined and then carefully hand-crafted with the highest attention to detail to create a piece of art that sounds as good as it looks.
Check out his creations at https://tinpiginstruments.wixsite.com/tinpig




Maker Faire is a gathering of fascinating, curious people who enjoy learning and who love sharing what they can do. From engineers to artists to scientists to crafters, Maker Faire is a venue for these "makers" to show hobbies, experiments, projects.

They call it the Greatest Show (& Tell) on Earth - a family-friendly showcase of invention, creativity, and resourcefulness.  Glimpse the future and get inspired!
Euan will presenting at the upcoming Maker Faire brought to you by Capital E.
It will be on at Wellington's TSB Arena Sunday 20 October.


The CoffeeBar Kid will also be there, taking photos and will report
back to you about what goes on.

Thursday, October 03, 2019

Hannah Topp aka Aldous Harding win 2019 APRA Silver Scroll for The Barrell 



Aldous Harding (Hannah Topp) has taken out this year's APRA Silver Scroll Award for her amazing song The Barrel.   This is the second time she's been a finalist and conveyed her delight at winning over a video message played at last night's award Ceremony at park Arena in Auckland.

The Award was presented to her father by the Prime Minister Rt. Hon Jancida Adern. 



“Thanks everybody. I think it’s wonderful you believe in us so much," she said "and congratulations to the other nominees…I’ll put the money towards making the same happy mistake again.”



The last three years have been huge for Topp, having signed to 4AD in 2017, moved to Wales, releasing her second album Party (it won the Taite Music Prize in 2018). Now she's dropped her third album, called Designer to great acclaim.  Both albums were made in collaboration with producer John Parish (PJ Harvey and Sparklehorse). 

Last night's event was hosted by a fast and loose Madeleine Sami, whose jokes sometimes went a little bit haywire.  Sadly no TV station wanted to broadcast and we had to resort to watching it on RNZ.  Thank goodness for them!

Groove listeners would have caught her stunning permormance at WOMAD 2 years ago. But you may have seen her more recently as she tours relentlessly, with hundreds of show dates across Europe, USA, Aussie and over here in Aotearoa.

For Musicians and music industry people the Silver Scroll Award is special because it's voted for by APRA members, and is the best peer approval you can get, a stunning acknowledgment from fellow songwriters. For Topp, it recognises her memorable and daring work (on The Barrel). Her name will be long rembered next to Marlon Williams, Bic Runga, Ruban and Kody Nielson, Scribe and P Money, Chris Knox, Dave Dobbyn, and Shona Laing.

We at Groove were also delighted to see the return of one of our most admired jazz musicians Nathan Haines, back after his battle with throat cancer. He was music director of tonight’s show - the 54th APRA Silver Scrolls ceremony.

Tyna Keelan, Angelique Te Rauna and Matauranga Te Rauna recieved the APRA Maioha Award (which recognises exceptional waiata in te reo Māori), celebrated for their rich and heartfelt ballad Ka Ao.

Capital composer Michael Norris took out the SOUNZ Contemporary Award for the 3rd time! (2014 - for Inner Phases; 2018 for Sygyt). This time it was for his work Sama Violin Concerto, written for violinist Amalia Hall.

Ex-Supergoove(er) Karl Steven won his second APRA Best Original Music in a Series Award for his dark and bold score for the TV series The Bad Seed (a twisted drama of politics and power based on the stories by author Charlotte Grimshaw).

Mike Newport snapped up the APRA Best Original Music in a Feature Film Award for his music in the 80's inspired time-travelling heist film Mega Time Squad.

Writer Chris Bourke was the perfect choice to introduce us to the induction of Ruru Karaitiana, Pixie Williams, and Jim Carter into the New Zealand Music Hall of Fame.  They really need know introduction. The trio created Aotearoa’s first ever true pop song Blue Smoke in 1949 - written, performed, recorded and made (in shellac) in aotearoa! There was a beautiful tribute performance inte Reo and English by Lisa Tomlins and Kirsten Te Rito backed by Riki Gooch, Jacqui Nyman, Mark Sommerville, James Illingworth, Nick Atkinson, Matthew Verrill, Luca Manghi and Paul McLaney's Black Quartet.

You can catch the special video made for the evening, which pays tribute to Blue Smoke here:  http://grooveradio.blogspot.com/2019/10/ruru-karaitiana-pixie-williams-and-jim.html

The winner of all awards were:
APRA Silver Scroll: Hannah Topp aka Aldous Harding – The Barrel
APRA Maioha Award: Tyna Keelan, Angelique Te Rauna and Matauranga Te Rauna – Ka Ao
SOUNZ Contemporary Award: Michael Norris – Sama Violin Concerto
APRA Best Original Music in a Series: Karl Steven – The Bad Seed
APRA Best Original Music in a Feature Film: Mike Newport – Mega Time Squad
Hall of Fame: Ruru Karaitiana, Pixie Williams, and Jim Carter

http://apraamcos.co.nz

Wednesday, October 02, 2019

Ruru Karaitiana, Pixie Williams and Jim Carter inducted into the NZ Music Hall of Fame for 'Blue Smoke'.

Introduced by writer Chris Burke, Ruru Karaitiana, Pixie Williams and Jim Carter have been inducted into the NZ Music Hall of Fame for 'Blue Smoke' at the APRA Silver Scrolls awards held at the Spark Arena in Auckland.  What a fantastic honour.  The first record to be written, sung, recorded and made (in Shellac by TANZA) in Aorearoa.  A true taonga.


Sunday, September 29, 2019

WOW announces winners for 2019

The Lady Warrior
The organisers of the 2019 World of WearableArts have announced the winners for this year.

This year's Supreme Award was won by Indonesian designer Rinaldy Yunardi (The Lady Warrior, pictured above).

Yunardi has entered previously.  In 2017 – his first entry – he also won, taking out the Supreme Award and the Avant-garde Section with his garment, Encapsulate.

The Lady Warrior has won the Avant-garde section of the awards show.  Yunardi has also managed to add an extra award, being the Asia International Design award.

For this year's entry, Yunardi  was inspired by what he calls  "toughest warrior of all" – Woman.

His entry incorporates the role of a daughter, a wife and a mother.

"I used various mediums of materials to represent the different elements of The Lady Warrior. Recycled paper made into rope and woven tightly together represents humanity and inner strength built from her experiences," he said.

As the supreme winner, Yunardi wins $30,000 - from a total prize pool of $180,000.

WOW founder and resident judge Dame Suzie Moncrieff said Yunardi's design "demonstrated perfect balance and form, as well as immaculate craftsmanship."

"The Lady Warrior conveys a stunning fragility which is perfectly balanced with a subtle strength. The judges particularly loved the use of traditional weaving to create a piece that is so contemporary."

In 2019, designers from 43 countries and regions entered in the hope of their garment making it
through the judging process and appearing on stage as a World of WearableArt Awards finalist.
Finalists come from an incredibly diverse range of backgrounds, professional and
non-professional, and working in the fields of fashion, art, costume and theatre, along with
students and first-time entrants.

This year the 115 finalist designers were presented with six design provocations, which
subsequently form the six worlds of the stage show. Three of these thematic worlds are
recurring - Aotearoa, Avant-garde and Open, and three are new for 2019 - Mythology,
Transform and White.

Woven In-tent by Kirsten Fletcher (Queensland, Australia)
WOW’s 2019 judging panel is comprised of WOW Founder and resident judge Dame Suzie
Moncrieff, innovative Auckland-based designer James Dobson of fashion label Jimmy D and
acclaimed multimedia sculptor Gregor Kregar. In addition, a number of awards were judged by
Sir Richard Taylor, CEO and Creative Director of Weta Workshop, B. Åkerlund, iconic fashion
activist and co-founder of The Residency Experience in Los Angeles, and Melissa Thompson,
Cirque du Soleil’s Montreal-based Creative Intelligence Team Lead + Conceptrice.

Dame Suzie Moncrieff, WOW Founder and resident judge says: “Each year we are presented
with the most extraordinary garments and each year it gets harder and harder to judge as there
are so many outstanding works.

This year has been no exception. I have been astounded by the wide range of materials used and the intricacy and originality of the designs. It is the highlight of my year and is an exhilarating and humbling experience to view this stage full of the world’s best examples of wearable art and to appreciate the immense amount of work that goes into each one of them”.

This year's WOW awards had a 108 garments enter from 115 designers across many countries. The WOW season runs from September 26 to October 13.

The Lady Warrior by Rinaldy Yunardi (Jakarta, Indonesia)
Winner: Supreme WOW Award / Winner: Avant-garde Section / Winner: International Design Award: Asia

Woven In-tent by Kirsten Fletcher (Queensland, Australia) / Winner: The Residency Experience Award / Winner: International Design Award: Australia & Pacific Runner Up: Supreme WOW Award
Second: Avant-garde Section

Waka Huia
Waka Huia by Kayla Christensen (Island Bay, Wellington) / Winner: Dame Suzie Moncrieff Award
Third: Aotearoa Section

Natural Progression by Dylan Mulder (Wellington) / Winner: Aotearoa Section /
inner: Wearable Technology Award

Kaitiaki by Lisa Vanin (Cambridge, Hamilton) / Winner: New Zealand Design Award
Second: Aotearoa Section

Chrysanthemum & Amphitrite by Jack Irving (London, United Kingdom) / Winner: Open Section
Winner: International Design Award: United Kingdom & Europe

Regnum Dei by Daniella Sasvári & Aaron La Roche (Upper Hutt, Wellington) / Second: Open Section

Collide-o-Scope by Vicky Robertson (Newtown, Wellington) / Third: Open Section

Gemini: The twins
Gemini: the Twins by Dawn Mostow & Ben Gould (Atlanta, United States) / Winner: International Design Award: Overall / Winner: International Design Award: Americas / Third: Avant-garde Section

Huaxia Totem by Sun Ye, Miao Yuxin & Yuan Jue (Shanghai, China) / Winner: White Section
Winner: Weta Workshop Emerging Designer Award / The Blomar by Akhilesh Gupta (Bangalore, India) / Second: White Section

Enlightened by Michelle Wade (New South Wales, Australia) & Adam Wade (Hawke’s Bay,
New Zealand) / Third: White Section

Infini-D by Tara Morelos, Ahmad Mollahassani & Nelia Justo (Sydney, Australia)
Third: Transform Section

Sea Urchin Explosion by Jack Irving (London, United Kingdom) / Winner: Cirque du Soleil Invited Artisan Award / Winner: Transform Section

Dress Up Dolls by Meg Latham (Motueka, Nelson) /  Second: Transform Section

Banshee of the Bike Lane 
Banshee of the Bike Lane by Grace DuVal (Chicago, United States) / Winner: Mythology Section

Soul Guardian by Chang Yi-Wei (New Taipei City, Taiwan) / Second: Mythology Section

The Moirai - the Shape of Us by Tina Hutchison-Thomas (St Albans, Christchurch) / Third: Mythology Section

Wrath of Medusa by Edyta Jermacz (Suchy Las, Poland) / Winner: First-time Entrant Award

Walk All Over Me by Louise Dyhrfort (London, United Kingdom) / Winner: Student Innovation Award

Engolfed by Leanne Day (Papakura, Auckland) / Winner: Sustainability Award

https://www.worldofwearableart.com/

Protest: Third National Climate Change Strike




The third national climate change strike will go down in history as the largest held in Aotearoa.  Friday's strike action in the name of climate change attracted over 170,000 nationwide, according to the strike's organisers.  This is larger than NZ's 1951 industrial strike that saw 22,000 wharfies on the picket lines for 151 days (February to July).  It even out did this year's mega teachers' strike.

I personally saw thousands in the Capital holding placards and signs.  The March stretched from Civic Square to Parliament with no breaks.  In Lambton quay it took over both sides at one point.  Children and adults alike gathered to demand positive and definitive change mitigate the effects of climate change.

 In Wellington organisers, who were mainly High School students, reported 40,000 protesters.  An estimated 80,000 filled Auckland's Aotea Square; 9000 in Christchurch; 9000 in Dunedin; and another 2000 in Palmerston North and Tauranga.

There were believed to be about 45 events occurring nationally.  'School Strike 4 Climate New Zealand' spokesperson Sophie Handford said info was from people at each event, advice from councils, police.

The events were inspired by 16-year-old activist Greta Thunberg, who spoke at the UN this week.  Handford is reported to have said the turnout was so large because people are so much more aware of the urgency of the situation. With local body elections, a general election and events in the UN in New York this week, people are on full alert and know they have power to get leaders to take change.  "More and more people are realising that our elected leaders aren't going to take action on the climate crisis without people using their power to show how important this is." (she told Stuff.co.nz).

School Strike 4 Climate New Zealand national coordinator Raven Maeder was reported to say that  everyone should march. "We want people from all walks of life to join us, I can't imagine a future where people are shamed for joining us. They will be celebrated."

Photos and Youtube slide session by Tim Gruar www.freshthinking.net.nz