The Bread & Circus World Buskers Festival returns to Christchurch stages and street pitches from 19 – 28 January. What's Hot New Zealand has done a deep dive into the jam-packed programme and come up with some acts that are sure to have you going O-M-G.

01 - Architects of Air: Arborialis Luminarium

Wander in a labyrinth of light and colour, through tunnels and domes, while listening to the soothing sounds of untouched nature. The inflatable mazes of UK-based Architects of Air have transported international audiences of all ages to other worlds. This time they bring the 1000m2 Arborialis to Cathedral Square. It’s a place to wander, explore and relax.

WHERE: Cathedral Square

02 - The Bread & Circus Festival Gala

MC Guy Williams will need all his celebrated loud voice when the Festival Gala returns to the Isaac Theatre Royal. A combustible combination of some of the must-see acts and busking sensations from the festival is a guarantee of chaos. This show sold out last year so don’t delay.

WHERE: Isaac Theatre Royal

03 - SING IT!

Lubricate your tonsils at the bar before joining Trevor Jones and his band in a sing-along to the greatest pop and rock songs of all time. Even better, you can make your own suggestions for the night’s playlist here. It’s mass live karaoke! Accompanying Trevor at new venue The Church will be a host of fabulous guests to lead the choir.

WHERE: The Church

04 - The Charming Jay

Jisu Park is a magicians’ magician. At age 15, he joined a student magic society and by the time he was 20, he was teaching magic to others. He has since built a career as a professional magician, builder of illusions and teacher/mentor to newbies and tyros, including the lead actors in the movie The Magician. Jisu’s act blends classical stage magic with elegance, pizzazz and more than a bit of showmanship.

WHERE: Busking Pitches

05 - Buskers’ Comedy Club

Are we having fun yet? You will at the Buskers’ Comedy Club. The buskers will be staying up late and delighting adults-only audiences across the first Friday and Saturday nights of the festival. Again, get in early as tickets will sell out.

WHERE: The Church

06 - Punk the Clown

Louise Kerr is a local favourite at the festival, appearing in recent years as Sport Suzie. For 2024, she brings back Punk the Clown, who first appeared at the World Buskers Festival 16 years ago. It’s a brand-new show for Punk, who will attempt magic, juggling and circus tricks that she really should have practised first. And what’s with the attitude? It’s like the only thing rosy about Punk is her nose.

WHERE: Busking Pitches

07 - MulletMan & MiM

Bringing the circus to streets all over the world, MulletMan & MiM turn any busking pitch into a vibrant stage where acrobatics, juggling, contortion and even foot archery combine into a spellbinding street spectacle.

WHERE: Busking Pitches

08 - Estupida Compañia

From Uruguay and Argentina, festival first-timers Estupida Compañia blend freak show with comedy in a series of stunts that should not be tried at home. From walking on glass to knife-throwing and whip cracking, it’s a wild ride.

WHERE: Busking Pitches

09 - Gaku

The maestro of “Jugglingdrum”, performing in New Zealand for the first time, has 3.9 million followers on TikTok. Gaku’s mesmerising fusion of juggling and percussion has captivated audiences worldwide as well as the judges of several TV talent contests. No one else does what he does so grab this chance to see him live.

WHERE: Busking Pitches

10 - Leah Orleans – Tiny Girl Big Show!

The title says it all – Leah Orleans is short on stature and immense in talent. Trained in clowning, acrobatics and contortion by coaches from Ringling Brothers, Cirque du Soleil and Broadway, Leah blends classical technique with modern humour in a show of pure joy.

WHERE: Busking Pitches

breadandcircus.co.nz

Te Ahurei Toi o Tāmaki Auckland Arts Festival starts its 18-day run of theatre, music, dance, cabaret and more in early March. We asked curators Shona McCullagh and Ataahua Papa for their top picks from the 200 acts on offer.

Shona McCullagh, Artistic Director

Diptych - This show by award-winning theatre company Peeping Tom from Belgium is the ultimate murder mystery, with twists, turns and surprise reveals throughout. Expect to have your mind blown by brilliant set design, performers and visual effects.

Angelique Kidjo - This night will be completely joyous! We’re delighted to present Angelique for what will be an incredible one-night-only show. Over a 40-year career, her 16 albums range from Afrobeat, dancehall, funk and jazz to American R&B and West African musical traditions.

Boot Scootin’ Boogie - Tom Sainsbury and Lara Fischel-Chisholm – aka Dynamotion – will be taking over the Spiegeltent in Aotea Square and leading audiences on a rootin’ tootin’ barn-dance spectacular. Don’t worry if you’ve never line-danced before, Tom and Lara will guide you through every slap-chapping step.

Wonders - Scott Silven is recognised as one of the most exciting theatrical illusionists on the world stage. His show has been described as hypnotic and strangely moving. Sceptics and believers unite, and prepare to be wowed.

Manifesto - Stephanie Lake has been appointed Resident Choreographer at the Australian Ballet and is one of the world’s leading dance artists. With Manifesto, she was inspired by the Edinburgh Tattoo and wanted to create a ‘contemporary’ version so, working with her husband, composer Robin Fox, they pair nine drummers with full rock ‘n’ roll drum kits with nine dancers and set the work against an opulent old-Hollywood staging. The end result is a ‘tattoo to optimism’ that is completely uplifting.

RoZéO - We’re delighted to be bringing acclaimed French aerial artists RoZeo. They’ll soar on swaying, seven-metre poles with live music, and crowds below will be able to enjoy their ‘dance across the sky’ while lapping up the atmosphere around Auckland’s vibrant Viaduct Harbour precinct. This is just one of the many free live events at the Auckland Arts Festival.

Ataahua Papa, Kaihautū Māori

Hear Me Roar - We’ve created the ultimate International Women’s Day celebration – New Zealand’s iconic female vocalists Annie Crummer (When the Cat’s Away), Betty-Anne Monga (Ardijah), Boh Runga (Stellar) and Julia Deans (Fur Patrol) share stories and songs by the women who have inspired their dynamic careers. There’ll be big music, big voices and we might just get the chance to sing along too.

Āhuareka - Tāmaki Makaurau came alive to the sounds of haka and waiata in February 2023 with Te Matatini Herenga Waka Herenga Tangata National Festival. Returning to Auckland and appearing at the Auckland Town Hall are some of the successful kapa haka groups. The performance will be on our final weekend – an uplifting moment to share with whānau and friends.

Kōtuitui - Indigenous creativity and artistic flair come to the fore with a rich array of Indigenous artists joining us for the festival. Kōtuitui will bring together members of taonga puoro collective Haumanu from Aotearoa, with Pamyua (Alaska) and William Barton (Australia) to present a spontaneous, original musical offering. Creative genius at its best.

Culture Beats / City Beats - The festival’s theme of resonance really comes to life with these two free events. Culture Beats sees some of our visiting international drumming experts (Ju Percussion, Afrique en Cirque) join with local artists Tamashii Taiko Drummers and Anuanua Cook Island Drum Group to put on a rhythmic show that will bring Aotea Square to life. Then it’s the audience’s turn to join in with City Beats to create the biggest mass drumline assembled in Auckland.

aaf.co.nz

It’s a simple notion – normalise talk about mental health with young people and they will realise they are not the only ones struggling with distressing self-talk and overthinking. They are not alone and help is available. 

Mike King’s I Am Hope campaign has been spreading that message for 10 years in schools and communities throughout Aotearoa. It’s a message not just for parents but for aunts, uncles, family friends and co-workers – anyone in fact who has young people in their life.

“We all have that voice in our heads, that inner critic, second-guessing everything we do,” Mike says. “The voice of doubt that beats us up and tells us we’re failures, that we’re worthless.

“Having an overactive inner critic is not a sign of mental illness, it’s a sign that we are normal. When our kids hear that self-doubt and overthinking is a shared experience, they are more likely to seek formal help earlier.”

Through school visits and community events, I Am Hope ambassadors tackle the myths that surround mental illness, helping young people and their supporters to understand that it’s good to open up about feelings and that friends and family are crucial for getting to a better place. Talking about mental illness also fights the stigma.

I Am Hope's big annual fundraiser is Gumboot Friday. Despite its importance to the organisation, for Mike and the team, Gumboot Friday is just one day. Every day, they say, is an opportunity to normalise talk about mental health. “It’s just a conversation,” is their message, and any of us can start it. Now’s good.

gumbootfriday.org.nz
iamhope.org.nz

US-style low-and-slow, Argentinian asado, South Africa’s braai – all variations on the theme of meat cooked over a fire. As we head into the barbecue season, we talk to two top fire chefs about the allure of the flame.

Cooking over fire is as old as humanity. Even older – palaeontologists have shown that pre-humans living 2 million years ago in southern Africa were the first beings to catch and control fire. Sure made the warthog a little less tough! Wood fire in particular gives food a special flavour. Some believe the hot but mellow effect of cooking on fire is the best for building one’s chi, or life force. Now, after many decades of cooking moving from the firepit to the kitchen, the trend is reversing. Gas barbecues are giving way to wood and charcoal as everyone from serious chefs to backyard burners catch the wave of flame. Two chefs have been at the forefront of the movement, Food By Fire’s Josh Hunter and Smokey T’s Tristin Anderson.

Tristin Anderson – Smokey T’s

A former executive chef who once managed 32 chefs across several Christchurch restaurants, Tristin says he’s been grabbed by a "smoke addiction”. From his custom cooker, he serves 10-hour smoked brisket, 6-hour smoked pork belly and 2-hour smoked jerk chicken in tacos, burgers and platters as well as classic ribs and delicious sides. Smokey T’s scooped the People’s Choice gong two years running at the Canterbury Hospitality Awards.

How would you describe what you do?

Smokey T’s BBQ is a mix of Texas meets Kansas. We feel more Kiwis love a saucy-style rib and well-seasoned beef. We touch base with all BBQ flavours really.

How did you get into it?

Over my 26 years as a chef it wasn’t till about eight years ago I started experimenting with more proteins. I grew up just smoking fish. One day I found an offset smoker at Bunnings, brought it home and boom, I was addicted! I remember stuffing tinfoil around the back of the barbecue trying to patch the leaks and using dryer vent tubes to try and get a better draw on the fire. My friends would drop off wild meats from their weekend catches and I would be up all night trying to perfect the product I was given.

What have been some of the highlights for you with BBQ cooking?

Starting out commercial BBQ’ing was a real buzz. Watching people’s reactions when eating the product was mind-blowing. It was a flavour that hadn’t really hit New Zealand yet. Also we got into competition BBQ and soon realised there was a mad following of people wanting to learn more and share their knowledge. There was a great community behind the passion.

It seems to excite a real passion with professional chefs and serious amateurs alike – why?

There is a real feeling when you get up early and light the fire. There’s something about the smell and watching people react to your food that just hits home.

Any tips for someone starting out?

Select premium quality meat and get your head around fire management.

smokeytsbbq.com

Josh Hunter – Food By Fire

Founder and chef of Whakapapa of Your Kai, Josh Hunter has always enjoyed cooking over fire and has used fires to enhance the food in several restaurants. But when he worked with Maty Johns and Rod Thomson from Food by Fire and Hannah Crisp from Crisp and Vale on an event called Fire and Feast, he caught the bug.

How would you describe what you do?

The style of BBQ we like to do at Food by Fire is asado, or more of a sub-style of asado called asador criollo, which is barbecuing vertically on an iron cross over an open flame. I'm a huge advocate for supporting small family businesses and for the paddock-to-plate ethos, using local Canterbury ingredients and proteins. This summer we will be using Poaka pigs from Mid Canterbury and Hallfield wagyu beef from Ohoka, North Canterbury.

What makes asado different to a braai or US-style barbecue?

While asado, braai or US-style barbecue all use fire to cook, asado is a South American style of barbecuing and has a real focus on not just the cooking but the performance of cooking over fire at a social event. Asado is the technique commonly used in countries such as Argentina, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay where it is a traditional event. An asado usually consists of beef, pork, chicken, chorizo and morcilla, all cooked using an open fire or grill called a parrilla. Usually side dishes such as salads accompany the main meats, which are prepared by a designated cook called the asador or parrillero. Braai is South Africa’s unique style of live fire cooking – this feast that can last for hours and there are plenty of rules and etiquette around it. A traditional braai is cooked on local wood, while modern-day braais use charcoal. Both give the meat a distinct flavour. Using gas to cook doesn’t count as a real braai. US-style is more “low and slow”. The four main types are North Carolina and Memphis, which use pork and represent the more traditional styles, and Kansas City and Texas, which use beef as well as pork.

The scene really lends itself to steampunk-style contraptions such as your asado trailer – who designs them?

We're very fortunate to have Rod Thomson design and build most of our asado BBQs inhouse. When we need more or bigger BBQs with lots of steampunk style we get help from Glen O’Neill at local company Flaxton Iron.

Any tips for someone starting out?

Start off by using equipment that doesn't intimidate you and is simple to use, like Weber. It's about experimenting with different produce, temperatures and timings until you get a gauge on how firewood and charcoal change the flavours. And enjoy it – the more you do it the more you’ll understand and your confidence will grow.

foodbyfire.nz

Legendary Kiwi band Pluto have had a mixed run of luck over the last few years. Reunited and back on a roll in 2019, the band suffered a cruel twist when the pandemic scuppered their tour plans. Now, Pluto have a new single out, “Maybe Twice”, and are back on the road. We talk to frontman Milan Borich.

How does it feel to be back on the road for a nationwide tour and with a new single?

Feels great to get the single out. We actually have quite a few new songs we’ve been working on. Just stoked to be able to hang out with my brothers in the band – we’re all pretty busy with our own stuff so definitely appreciate the time we have together to play live.

It must have been a cruel stroke for the band to get back together just before we went into a lockdown?

It wasn’t ideal! We had a lot of shows lined up but hey, just grateful we all got through it. That’s the way it was meant to go. Made us more energised to get out there with new stuff and play shows! 

Is all the “old band” back together for this tour?

Yes, for sure, we wouldn’t have it any other way. Old for sure as well, haha. We’ve still got lots of gas left in the tank though, so don’t worry.

What can audiences expect from your gigs?

They are going to be a master stroke of energy and fun. We’re technically in the “masters” division now and one of us may probably suffer from a stroke while on stage. But we’ll bring the electricity and it’ll be entertaining for sure, haha.

It’s been a while since Nietzsche featured in popular music – what drew you to him?

I read a lot of Nietzsche and other philosophy. He’s been misrepresented and misunderstood for quite some time, maybe that’s why popular music avoids him. For me, his well is deep.

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is also a big part of your life – tell us about that?

I found Brazilian Jiu Jitsu just over a decade ago, and like philosophy and my family, it kind of centred me. I’ve definitely lived a life and lucky to still be here. My daughter DeeDee (now 14) and I started a Jiu Jitsu club called Lucid Jiu Jitsu a year ago in Titirangi and it’s organically grown into something very special that we’re super proud of. We have a lot of musos and their kids coming – a good playlist during classes is essential. DeeDee has been training in BJJ for seven years now and holds a kid’s green belt. I’m a brown belt. We often compete. I’m a brown belt national champ and DeeDee has won gold in her last two comps. My youngest daughter, Máni, (1 year old) already has her Lucid Gi (uniform) and is on the mats with her dad and sister.

You have a new single, is there a new album in the wings?

Yes, we’ll be releasing a few more singles then an album mid 2024!

milanborich.com

It’s not eye of newt and toe of frog but some very magical ingredients go into Elsewhere Gin’s range. Forager-in-chief Mark Rose gathers the water, geology and botanicals of an area and captures their essence in a bottle.

Early on a calm morning, Mark and Zoë Rose of Elsewhere Gin, with their children Luca and Otto in tow, are scouring Birdlings Flat, near Christchurch, for pebbles, agates, driftwood and bits of seaweed.

So far so normal. What happens next isn’t. Mark takes the results of their foraging, including some seawater, and adds it to botanicals harvested from the nearby Okuti Valley to distil a gin that captures the essence of the area. The seawater amplifies the flavours and adds depth to the gin. The pebbles and agates replace the boiling stones or glass spheres usually used in distillation, adding their own minerals to the mix.

The gathering was done in April. The resulting sky-blue Little River Gin now sits alongside North Canterbury Gin, Central Otago Gin and several other such “regional expressions” on Elsewhere Gin’s website.

Mark is a former winemaker of 25 years who decided it was time to use his trained palate for something different. With his wines, he always strived to create a liquid that tightly reflected the terroir of the region. A celebration of living in this world right there in your glass. Why not do the same with gin?

Over time he has perfected the technique. Foraging is best done in the early morning when the plant aromatics are at their peak and fresh, before the heat of the day volatilises them.

For the Little River forage, the family stayed at the Little River Campground and Manaia Native Habitat. The campground has 5 hectares of bush to explore and from there they foraged tarata resin, kanuka and manuka blossoms, kawakawa fruit and water from the river.

They also visited family friend, herbalist and naturopath Valmai Becker at nearby herb garden Phytofarm. The visit was timed for the harvest and into the mix went lemon verbena, German chamomile, lemon thyme, bay leaf, licorice, holy basil, lemons and sweet marjoram. And some aquifer water.

In all cases the wild and farmed botanicals are immediately placed into glass jars with neutral spirit and the gathered water to capture the full array of aromatics.

For all of Elsewhere Gin’s regional expressions range, the process is the same. The family head off to visit friends across the country and go to remote areas for a forage. Using excise-paid neutral spirit, Mark makes a distillate of each botanical right there in the field.

He takes these “quintessences” to the distillery he is working with, currently Humdinger in Geraldine. Here, the foraged water and botanicals are interlaced in the distilling run with classic gin botanicals such as Himalayan juniper and Italian juniper, German-grown angelica archangelical, and picante coriander, an Aotearoa-grown variety with an intense woody citrus aroma.

Mark’s pioneering approach to gin-making has attracted serious attention. Matt Barnsley of Christchurch hospo player Inkster Co. wanted a gin specifically for the group’s swanky Austin Club so Mark took the staff foraging to Little Akaloa on a stormy Monday morning. They found plenty of banana passionfruit growing wild and that became the centrepiece of the gin, augmented by foraged horopito peppercorns, kawakawa and kombu.

Since then Mark has created gins for The Juniper Collective (horopito, celery pine, manuka blossom, snow totara and cherry blossoms from Arthurs Pass), O.G.B (wild gooseberries and miro berries with water from Aōraki-fed Lake Pukaki) and others.

One collab was with Kings Truffles in Waipara. Mark infused 20 litres of North Canterbury Gin with 1kg of perigord truffles, along with saffron, wild cherries and violets to produce truffle-rich gin with endless flavours.

And coming is a bespoke gin for Otahuna Estate in Tai Tapu. The year-long process will include gathering botanicals from the estate’s vast collection as they come into bloom.

The small-batch nature of Elsewhere Gin’s process means a limited supply of each one. No problem – Mark and the family will often go back to their favourite places to gather botanicals for further batches. But just like vintage wines, each batch will express the character of different seasons and years. No two the same.

Why blue?

The final stage before filtering and bottling Elsewhere’s Little River Gin is to infuse it with butterfly pea flowers, the only edible flower in the world that can accurately reflect pH. The blue/purple delphinidian anthocyanins in the flowers interact with the high pH of the water gathered from the river and from the Phytofarm aquifer. Add a splash of tonic to the gin and another reaction produces the lavender blush of early mornings at Birdlings Flat.

elsewheregin.com

NZ Opera has assembled a top-tier lineup of local and international talent for its 2024 programme, a trio of productions that traverse nearly two centuries of musical history, from classic bel canto to contemporary brilliance.

First up, in April, is the New Zealand premiere of Mansfield Park, based on the Jane Austen novel and set to music by 21st-century English composer Jonathan Dove.

A brand-new production of Rossini's comedy, Le comte Ory, directed by leading Kiwi director Simon Phillips, will visit Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch in June.

The season's final offering is a bold and dramatic, mafia-inflected production of Verdi's Rigoletto, featuring New Zealand superstar tenor Amitai Pati (Ihitai’Avei’a – Star Navigator, Die Zauberflöte, Sol3 Mio), and renowned Australian baritone James Clayton (Barber of Seville, Marriage of Figaro, Macbeth).

The season's opening act, Mansfield Park, is a popular contemporary chamber opera (2011) based on Jane Austen's 1814 Regency-era novel. It brings Austen's world to vibrating life with charm and authenticity. The production, to be presented in historic venues in Wellington and Auckland, has garnered critical acclaim worldwide and promises to be a delight for Austen aficionados and music lovers alike. 

At the helm is director Rebecca Meltzer of Waterperry Opera Festival (UK), who guides a cast of 10 outstanding performers, led by Australian mezzo-soprano Ashlyn Tymms (Carmen, Otello, Così fan tutte) as the reserved heroine Fanny Price and seasoned New Zealand baritone Robert Tucker (The Unruly Tourists, Eight Songs for a Mad King, Don Giovanni) in the role of Sir Thomas Bertram. New Zealand favourites Joanna Foote, Kristin Darragh and Joel Amosa also star in this much-loved study of manners, marriage and money.

Midway through the year, audiences in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch can revel in a brand-new production of the frothy, rollicking bel canto masterpiece, Le comte Ory. The all-star cast includes award-winning lyric tenor Manase Latu (Hamlet, Don Giovanni, Idomeno) in the titular role, sparkling soprano Emma Pearson (Cosi fan tutte, Semele, Lucia di Lammermoor) as Countess Adèle, and baritone Moses Mackay (Lucia di Lammermoor, Cavalleria Rusticana, Sol3 Mio) as the Count’s louche friend Raimbaud. Auckland Philharmonia, Orchestra Wellington, Christchurch Symphony Orchestra and the New Zealand Opera Chorus will perform in each centre, under the baton of conductor Brad Cohen.

Internationally acclaimed Kiwi director Simon Phillips (North by Northwest, Priscilla Queen of the Desert, The Elixir of Love) brings a local twist to this lively and risqué French comedy, offering a fresh take on its sublime silliness.

The season's final opera is Verdi's magnificent and enduring masterpiece Rigoletto, set to captivate audiences at Auckland's Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre in September. This dramatic tale of love, betrayal and revenge has rightfully held a place in the operatic canon since its 1851 premiere. An acclaimed Opera Australia production originally created by director Elijah Moshinsky (1946-2021), Rigoletto will be conducted by renowned maestro James Judd leading the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra and the New Zealand Opera Chorus.

Set in 1950s Italy, with glamorous La Dolce Vita-inspired sets and costumes, this is large-scale romantic opera at its grandest.

With a stellar cast led by baritone James Clayton – one of Australia's most seasoned performers – and with Kiwi-Samoan tenor Amitai Pati as the Duke, Rigoletto is an unmissable event in Aotearoa's 2024 cultural calendar.

A one-night-only concert performance of Wagner’s epic Tristan und Isolde in partnership with the Auckland Philharmonia, directed by Frances Moore, will be presented at the Auckland Town Hall in August, starring internationally celebrated Wagnerian singers tenor Simon O’Neill (Die Walküre, Ring Cycle, Parsifal), soprano Manuela Uhl (Die tote Stadt, Ring Cycle, Die Frau ohne Schatten), and The New Zealand Opera Chorus.

nzopera.com

As a portrait photographer, Ebony Lamb has an eye for the defining detail. As a songwriter, she shows that same clear insight. We talk timing, connections and the power of 3 ahead of her national tour.

This album’s been a slow burn for you – why was that? Good things really do take time. Finding the right collaborators took some superb universal timing, to have Bic Runga and Kody Nielson (UMO) as my producers. I met Bic while at the Christchurch Art Centre at a songwriters’ workshop she was part of. It was a really great meeting of minds, followed by touring with her and then working together. The pandemic has held back this release by at least two years and now is totally the right time – touring nationally, going overseas, having the opportunity to go for it without the deep worry of cancellations. It also took us time to create the sound that was Ebony Lamb as there wasn't really a template for that, we were trying out new things.

Would you say it has a theme? Connection, observations on my life, the world around me. Ultimately the theme is about being connected and also being awake to what's happening for each of us in daily life and over years, through love, time, choices that we make. I'm in a very deeply loving relationship that's long term and it's never lost on me how precious that is. 

Will listeners hear a change of direction from the days of Eb & Sparrow? More of a new and wider genre trajectory into a great direction that we were headed in on some tracks. It's fresh and stronger. It still feels very much like an Ebony Lamb record, and as the sole songwriter and lead vocalist in Eb & Sparrow it's got the essence of that in a whole new way. The live shows with my current band are really the best shows I've ever done. I'm working with Phoebe Johnson (Revulva, Heavy Chest) and Hikurangi Schaverien-Kaa (French For Rabbits, Dateline) who are both amazing jazz-trained musicians, highly regarded, and there's a bit of magic working as a trio I've found, it's been wonderful. 

How was it working with Bic and Kody? And analogue equipment? Like working with your ultimate dream team. It was an incredibly enriching experience and really humbling to be working with such deft production and musicianship, they truly are geniuses. It was wonderful to use Bic and Kody's amps and guitar and to be tracking together in real-time in the great studio they have at home. We recorded my vocal final takes in Wellington with my long-term collaborator Gram Antler on really beautiful old microphones. Having Kody master everything to tape means there's an authenticity and realness to the final album, and as a collection of debut solo songs I feel very happy. The reverence shown to my songwriting and singing was really supported by them through their production choices, the best recording experience of my life.

Your day job has been as a portrait photographer – is that on hold now? I'm actually navigating that right now, and thankfully I can usually find a way to work with the portrait sitters amongst it all. It will definitely need to pause during the national tour, which spans 27 October to 11 November throughout Aotearoa. I absolutely adore portraiture, it's such a powerful and important part of imparting your creative work into the public space. I really love people, and human beings are pretty fascinating. The last time I was in Canterbury I photographed Man Booker Prize winner Eleanor Catton, which we did over about five hours. It was such a brilliant shoot around the Peninsula. I really am focused on singing and releasing as much music work as possible in the coming 10 years though, and being able to bring the two worlds together through the performance aspect with visual projections and creating music videos through my production company, Studio ELGA.

What will you be doing this summer? Going to any festivals (as punter or performer)? Spending time in the Marlborough Sounds with my family, writing the next Ebony Lamb album as well as working on a book about portraiture and planning the overseas album tour for 2024. So working but in a great way. I'll definitely be watching my friends perform throughout summer and there's more to be announced, so I'll stay mum on that front for now!

How do you relax? I love walking up above our home in the old bush of Days Bay, in Wellington. Living near the sea is a must in daily life for me. Also listening to really loud music in the car – there's something about moving towards a destination and singing at the top of your lungs. If I'm tired I love being at home watching great films from Arovision https://ondemand.arovideo.co.nz/

I can’t leave the house without … A great bag, the right jacket and my Weleda Skinfood.

Christchurch: Fri 27 Oct, Lyttelton Coffee Company
Dunedin: Sat 28 Oct, Yours
Wellington: Fri 3 Nov, Meow
Featherston: Sat 4 Nov, Kiwi Hall
Napier: Sun 5 Nov, Paisley Stage
Auckland: Fri 10 Nov, Whammy
Paekākāriki: Sat 11 Nov, St Peter’s Village Hall

ebonylamb.com

Harry Parsons had a Smokefree Rockquest win, a debut single, a degree in pop music and a clear trajectory to stardom ahead of him. The only thing missing was Harry.

His heart wasn’t in it. “Being a little pop star” had lost its allure. So in 2019 Harry took time out from gigging and spent a year writing songs, hanging out with producer Ben Malone and getting back into the big band sounds he loved but had forgotten. Bands like The Smiths, The Cure, The War On Drugs and The Killers.   

Harry wrote about 50 songs during this period. He also changed his name to MACEY, the name under which he has released his debut album, Lovers – a “proper” album, he says, with a story of heartbreak, loss and ultimately a kind of resolution.

And it’s as MACEY that he is finally getting the attention as an artist that he warrants. Ironically, taking another name has been the key to him bringing his authentic self to his music.

The album’s songs track a chronology of loss, first of his musician father, Ian Parsons, who succumbed to a long illness, and then of his long-term relationship. The energy is lighter and “more naive” on Side A – you can hear that in “Lonely” and “Summer Grunge”, which predate the worst of the pain. With Side B, “I’ve grown,” says MACEY. “You grow up fast when you go through big events.”

Now he hopes his music can help others going through a rough patch, to give them catharsis and a sense of not being alone.

Along the way he has had some cool collabs with other artists, notably fellow ‘80s tragic Troy Kingi. They met at the SongHubs songwriting camp in Christchurch in 2021. The camps are a week of writing and collaborating with other musicians.

Troy was working on his ‘80s album project, Year Of The Ratbags And Their Musty Theme Songs at the time. Says MACEY, “Six months later he rang me up and asked me to come in to the studio. He’d written the song and my part as well. The man has an incredible work ethic.”

Right now, MACEY has gigs to prepare for. Good thing he loves to rehearse. And then before heading to the microphone it’s a couple of whiskies (Jamesons, neat) and a big hug and kiss for each of the band.

warnermusic.co.nz

Bill Bailey has a lot on his mind. Again. The hit UK comedian shares a slice or two as he prepares for a mammoth tour of Aotearoa.

You are visiting 14 gems in our crown over a month – sounds more like a house-hunting trip than a tour.

There’s a lot to see here – it’s twice the size of the UK. Plus the wildlife is the best – not too bitey, not too big. It’s Goldilocks – just right.

Have you thought of just staying on and seeing if anyone notices? You could hide on Stewart Island.

I tried that last time but I ended up on Instagram – there’s no escape these days.

You were an environmentalist back when people thought it a bit kooky. So was the now King Charles. Not so kooky now, eh?

Exactly – feels like a vindication. Oh, the ‘tree-huggers and bunny huggers’ – yeah well, it’s King Tree Hugger to you.

I figure you take no joy from being vindicated?

Not really. It’s like saying everything is going to hell, it’s really bad, and then everyone says Oh yeah, you’re right ... thanks Bill, you killjoy.

About your show ‘Thoughtifier’ – so our weirdness is our ultimate defence as humans?

All we have is consciousness, thought ... that’s it. All else is mere flesh. And yes, we are contradictory, sometimes a bit useless. Our randomness is our protection from redundancy, no robot can repeat that.

Observational humour is very much the dominant form now, as against the more gag-focused style of legends such as Arthur Askey and Les Dawson – please discuss.

Well yes, but I don’t think it’s just observational. All forms of humour are thriving – oddball, personal, confrontational, introvert. I’ve often favoured the crypto-observational style, pointing out things that don’t exist. Or the proto-personal, where you imagine you are me and you are thinking my thoughts.... like Avatar, only instead of the Na’avi it’s a bearded pianist. 

I interviewed your co-star in Black Books, Dylan Moran, recently and he seemed keen to move on from the series. How about you? Can such success become a bit of a millstone on a career?

I don’t think it’s a millstone. A milestone, a moment.in time, an ongoing cult, a thing which will always be. It’s the way of the world, you can’t unmake it or wish it away.

You are known for your sense of style – if you could give the world one fashion tip, what would it be?

Always aim for the thing that others might not. If it’s not trending, it’s the right choice. If it is trending, it’s already too late.

What are you like in the kitchen?

Chatty, charming, often naked.

What’s the best advice your mum ever gave you?

Keep going – you’ll get there. Could be a career, a marriage, a long walk, knitting a mouse or making an omelette.

If you weren’t doing what you are now, what would you want to be?

I would be a resident musicologist at a biological research station.

Is there a particular book or author that has inspired you in your life or career?

I love Somerset Maugham and his prolific writings on Southeast Asia.

How do you prepare for a gig? Any rituals or superstitions?

Always wander around the venue, sit in the seats. Seek out some fine local falafel or some chick pea-based substitute.

What’s your favourite guilty pleasure?

My guilt is pleasure itself. It induces guilt, as I am British, where pleasure itself is an indulgence.

billbailey.co.uk

Hands up if you are one of the 40,000 people at a Come Together gig over the last three years?

The series of rock concerts recreating classic songs by Elton John, David Bowie, Dire Straits, Tom Petty, Neil Young, Fleetwood Mac, The Beatles and Rolling Stones has become one of our most successful.

Now, for a banger end to 2023, the Come Together crew of Jon Toogood, Julia Deans, Sam Scott, James Milne (Lawrence Arabia), Dianne Swann, Brett Adams, Matthias Jordan, Jol Mulholland, Alistair Deverick and Mike Hall will deliver the biggest and best songs they’ve recreated in those three years.

Audiences and critics have raved about the concert series. “These folks didn’t ‘cover’ the songs performed tonight, they inhabited them,” said one. “A concert that many in attendance will never forget,” said another.

Here’s a chance to see a Kiwi supergroup breathe new life into rock’s songbook. Come to party!

Wellington: St James Theatre, Thu 7 Dec

Auckland: The Civic, Sat 9 Dec

Christchurch: Isaac Theatre Royal, Thu 14 Dec

www.libertystage.com

Family connections remain Katchafire’s bedrock after two decades together. The roots reggae masters’ hectic tour schedule will bring them to seven centres in Aotearoa in September and October.

Has your relentless touring schedule slowed down at all?

No. We’ve just completed an eight-week tour of the US. That’s a bit longer than we like to be away – five to six weeks is usually the limit. But we’re very blessed to have this much work available. America and elsewhere are screaming out for Katchafire so we keep making hay.

You’ve played festivals all over the world – which ones stand out for you?

Wellington’s Homegrown is one of my favourites. We’re all Kiwi musicians. It’s just the mana and seeing the stands and everyone buying into that. New Zealand music is second to none, I love it. Internationally the best would probably be Spain’s Rototom Sunsplash. 10 days of reggae – everyone who’s big in reggae plays there. Another one is Germany’s Summer Jam – we usually play that but we’ve put it off to next year.

Who is on the tour?

We’ve got the full band and the full horn section. Every horn section here in New Zealand is busy so we have to share! Some of our horn section also play with Troy Kingi, for example. They’re very talented musicians.

Do you still treat audiences to those legendary long gigs?

No, we haven’t done a four-hour gig since the early 2000s. The longest now is two hours. We’ve got to make room for the support! Looking back, I don’t know how we did it, to be honest.

You are probably celebrated more outside New Zealand – why do you think that is?

It’s the old thing – that’s my uncle, my brother, my cousin... As Kiwis, we don’t celebrate our homegrown things as much as we should. It’s only when other people recognise them that Kiwis go ‘Oh, we should celebrate them’. You have to make it overseas to be a big deal at home. But we’re Kiwis, we’re down to earth, we know how that rolls. In the US and elsewhere, people are much more fanatical.

Certainly in Hawai’i – you’re huge there.

That was a real shock to us. We went to Hawai’i in about 2005. The internet was just taking off and all of a sudden there was a huge demand for Katchafire in the islands. The first show we played there was to open the Pro Bowl NFL exhibition match at Aloha Stadium. It was packed with 50,000 people. That was our first taste of a show in Hawai’i, hearing all those people singing our music back to us.

Is there strength in being a whānau-based band?

Definitely. Just being able to approach tough things as a family has made it a lot easier. When you’re doing it with your dad, your brother, your brother-in-law, you can deal with adversity together, the ups and downs are a lot easier to face. It still means so much to us that we do this independently and as a family and brothers.

Who’s the cook?

Whoever’s not working! I like to delegate the cooking to Leon, he loves his kai. And me, I like to cook.

Speciality?

High-grade sashimi, raw fish, especially when we’re in the islands.

How long before the next generation joins the band?

They’re already taking on music. My son Tane is off to Jazz School in Wellington next year. Leon’s son Wineera is playing lead guitar in a band out of Raglan called Messiah with the kids of Cornerstone Roots. And Jordan’s son Cairo as well. They’re all knocking on the door, forming bands, into production, they’ve got their laptops.

How do you prepare for a gig?

As a band we perform karakia before every gig, taking a moment to ready ourselves. For me, I’ve got a steam inhaler I use to moisturise and warm up my vocal cords. I find the best thing for me is rest, get a good night’s rest after a gig and before the next one.

Do you have any views on the failure of cannabis law reform in New Zealand?

I think it would have been very good and beneficial if it had passed and I was disappointed it didn’t when we came so close. I also think it might have been one or two years too soon for New Zealand’s psyche and attitude. I think over the next year or so we are going to see a change in attitude on the matter. We are catching up with the rest of the world but New Zealand is quite conservative. If the referendum had been a year or two later it would have been a different outcome but we may not get a chance to repeat it.

katchafireofficial.com

Tim Finn is taking the songs of Split Enz, Crowded House and his solo material back on the road. What’s Hot New Zealand talks to him ahead of his main-centre tour, The Lives and Times of Tim Finn, in September.

You’ve got a huge catalogue of songs to choose from – how was it coming up with a set list?

I had done a one-off show in Manly towards the end of last year. For the first time I played the songs in the order they had been written. It started in 1977 with ‘My Mistake’ but I only got as far as the early ‘90s before it seemed the right length. I’ve added in a few extras for this tour, but again, it’s chronological. It somehow suits my natural theatrical bent to play all these characters and go through the years with them again. It’s probably the closest I’ll get to re-living my life.

Are you looking forward to being back on the road after such a long break?

It's been more than a decade since I’ve toured. I’m excited to do shows with this band who play the old songs so inspiredly. They love engaging with the music of the Enz, Woodface Crowded House and my solo material. We are playing in beautiful rooms with sound and lights designed and controlled by equally creative spirits. Our daughter Elliot will be singing BVs. So much to look forward to.

No doubt the hotels are better than in the early days of Split Enz? What else is different?

When songs have been part of people’s lives for a few decades, they kind of belong to them as much as you. So to perform them live is to share something that evokes memories but also creates something in the here and now. There’s nothing to prove that hasn’t been proven, nothing to gain, nothing to lose, the thing that happens won’t be about a new album or trying to convince you of something. It has a kind of innocence and intimacy that would have been impossible for early Enz to achieve. We were a band that walked the fine line between extreme self-absorption and wanting to entertain the crowd. It was like we had had a revelatory experience of some kind and we were trying to convey it.

How is it playing songs you wrote in the 1970s? Any radically different arrangements this time?

I'm going to play with tempos with a couple of them. But we will do fairly faithful versions as the original arrangements are so strong. Split Enz in particular spent days and weeks working out the parts. If it aint broke!

That audience must be quite multi-generational now?

Yes, I noticed that in that Manly show. There were younger people there who had probably never seen me live, but when they recognised a song I could see it in the body language. I’ve been told that a couple of DJs in Auckland have been playing ‘Nobody Takes Me Seriously’ in the clubs so I’ve included that in the set. An older crowd member said to me through the fence as I was leaving the backstage area at a festival “You’ve still got it, Tim!”, which was gratifying as I could tell he must have seen some early Enz shows. Sometimes people tell me they remember a show from the ‘70s and you realise that an intense performance is not an ephemeral thing.

Are you tempted to break out any of the old Split Enz costumes for the tour?

I still like to wear a suit but not a Crombie-designed one. The thing about the Split Enz costumes, handmade as they were by Noel (Why hasn’t anyone done a podcast with Noel where he talks you through his process?), was that they worked all together. Once we were ready to go on, we had become this organic sculpture with 12 legs. It was the best feeling in the world to subsume your individual personality into this larger-than-life entity.

Tell us about your best/worst experience on tour.

I'm not saying best or worst but what came into my head was that in 1981, Split Enz played two shows in one night at the Whiskey in LA. As we went on for the first set I saw Bette Midler in the wings. Then after the second show, Donna Summer walked into our dressing room. It was surreal. Two divas in one night (to the tune of ‘4 Seasons in One Day’). 

What can you tell us about your band for this tour?

Apart from Elliot on BVs I have NZ musician Brett Adams on guitars and vocals. He played with The Mockers back in the day and is an outstanding singer and musician I’ve worked with for nearly 20 years now. Then I have bass, keys, drums, sax/clarinet/flute. All gifted players with whom I’ve had many a fine time playing festivals in Australia. 

Flip Grater is joining you on the New Zealand leg of the tour – how did that come about? 

Brett had told me about Flip a few years back. I think she might have toured with his band with Dianne Swann, The Bads. I really like her voice and songs and am hoping for some vegan vibes backstage! 

You are involved in all sorts of projects now. What have you been up to lately?

I’ve been making albums with friends such as ex Enz keyboardist and producer Eddie Rayner, Roxy Music guitarist Phil Manzanera and Irish songwriter Andy White. I also collaborated on a new opera called Ihitai ‘Avei’a – Star Navigator, which was produced by New Zealand Opera. And I’ve been writing musicals, some of which have been produced in Australia. I’ve been busy but most of it happens at home, which is how I prefer it these days.

Who would be your dream collab? 

They’re already happening. Last year I had a new musical produced by Melbourne Theatre Company adapted from a short story by Kazuo Ishiguro, one of my top three living authors. When we sent him our script and song lyrics, he emailed us saying he was "blown away”. As someone who thinks of novelists as the Olympians of the arts, it doesn’t get any better than that!

What advice would you give to your younger self? 

Kick back, have fun, don’t take it too seriously … all the usual stuff.

Any of the current crop of Kiwi musicians you are impressed by?  

To be honest I’m so deep in the world of theatre these days and writing new songs that I don’t have my ear to the ground for the current crop out there. I wish them all well though. It’s a beautiful dream to make music and share it with people. 

What album/song do you have on high rotation at the moment?

I’ve fallen in love with Maria Callas and have been listening repeatedly to her singing Puccini's aria ‘Sola Perduta Abbandonata’.

Christchurch Town Hall, Wed 20 Sep
Michael Fowler Centre, Wellington, Thu 21 Sep
Civic Theatre, Auckland, Sat 23 Sep
facebook.com/TimFinnOfficial