By Sebastian Mackay
Fear Factory are legendary. They do stuff with guitars and noise that made people I like want to do the same stuff. That's where my connection to Fear Factory began and up until chatting to Burton C. Bell I thought that was where it ended - it's not though. So like an elephant on a tightrope I proceed to make myself look like a right dick in the following interview but Burton had fun... I think.
Read MoreBy Steven Grant
It's a busy couple of months ahead for Che Fu. This Saturday December 13th, Che and his band The Kratez are ready to perform some good vibes at Raggamuffin on an impressive bill featuring UB40, Cypress Hill and Ice Cube (just to name a few), while in January he heads of on The Winery Tour with his band Supergroove.
Read MoreBy Sebastian Mackay
I got 25 minutes with Jon Toogood during a lightning storm in Melbourne. During that 25 minutes Jon covered everything from existential life questions to working as part of a theatre to the food that he'd eat every day until the day he died ("I reckon you'd get sick of it by dinner" he said, only half mockingly) and just how readily available thermals are.
Read MoreBy Ben Doy
Sammy Johnson has today released his self-titled EP. The recording features first single ‘No Sleep' which topped the NZ iTunes Reggae chart as well as cracking the US Billboard Top 40 Reggae Chart, while new single ‘Hey' debuted in the NZ Top 20 single charts.
Read MoreBy Sebastian Mackay
I thought this day would never come... in fact, I'm so shocked by it I'm using it to justify this little preamble to my chit chat with the main man behind Cairo Knife Fight, Nick Gaffaney, (feel free to skip ahead). I'm about to intro this article with an AC/DC quote. Unfortunately, it ain't no clever quip about hitmen, murder, or indeed, knowing you must have let go of the Rudd-er to think you could pull that one off (see what I did there? Yeah...) in good ol' Godzone.
Read MoreBy Sebastian Mackay
Max Cavalera is a God. His disciples swarm to him like a cult and hang off his every word. Whether Cavalera Conspiracy, the Sepultura days, Soulfly, Nailbomb or the new project Killer Be Killed, The Children Of Cavalera* are obsessive but Max remains grounded. The once strung out drug and alcohol abuser takes it with a nod and keeps doing what he's doing.
Read MoreBy Sebastian Mackay
Listening to Kevin Mark Trail speak, in a rapid fire English accent over the roar of a train and excited shouts in the background, my internal monologue was singing Good Charlotte's Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous quietly to itself, interjected with a deluge of snide comments. (Mum says I need to work on my people skills and I'm finally beginning to see that).
Read MoreBy Poppy Tohill
What happens at the accidental meeting of inkblots, photocopies, cardboard, angle-poise lamps, video technology, a laptop and a banana box? The United Kingdom's ‘Paper Cinema,' theatre company is what happens. Using the language of animation, music, film and theatre to lead viewers through a variety of stories, New Zealanders are lucky enough to have the opportunity to experience their most recent work‘Odyssey' in action this month, as the English theatre company bring this show to our shores for the very first time since its premiere in the spring of 2012.
Read MoreBy Poppy Tohill
Step aside Katchafire, there's a new reggae band in town. Forming just over a year ago, Auckland's newest seven piece roots reggae band who go by the name of Hotboxed Treehut, have just released their debut single, Positive Music, and a brand new music video to go with it.
Read MoreBy Poppy Tohill
Some of you may be familiar with the punk rock band The King Blueswho for ten years challenged the politicians and war-monger's of theUnited Kingdom with their original punk rock, ska, protest music. Well almost three years on from their break up, vocalist Jonny Fox, is back on the airwaves, more commonly known and referred to as ‘Itch' these days which is his stage name for his now, solo musical career.
Read MoreBy Poppy Tohill
With the release of Shapeshifter and The UpBeats EP, SSXUB, vocalist P Digsss provided some laughs, and information about the EP to me down the phone line last month just hours prior to it's anticipated release.
Read MoreBy Poppy Tohill
Bernie Griffen has got a new band. The Thin Men, a new album,'Salvation,' and a bit of a new sound. Launching the release of the new album at Auckland's Tuning Fork late last month, I caught up with Bernie and one third of the thin men, who is in fact not a man at all, but Griffen's long time musical partner Kirsten Warner, at the bands soundcheck ahead of their show later that night.
Read MoreBy Sebastian Mackay
Nico and Vinz have made quite the storm - even still I'd never heard of them but that says more about me than it does them - and if the hype is to be believed they're going to be dominating the charts of every country across the world (literally speaking. They've triumphed over the United States, which let's be honest pretty much is the world, and they've trampled over pop everywhere from Denmark to the UK). But there's one thing about this duo that stands out more than everything else: when he has to Nico can talk a million words a minute, bloody good for me because we were only given 10.
Read MoreBy Poppy Tohill
Forming in mid 1979, with just a few breaks between 1981-1991 and 2006-2010, the 2 Tone ska revival band, The Selecter are currently celebrating their 35th anniversary together, and showing no signs of slowing down. Making their way to New Zealand for the very first time throughout their long career, to perform shows in Auckland, Christchurch and Wellington this month, I had a chat with Selecter vocalist and front woman Pauline Black, about all things 2 Tone Ska Music, touring with The Selecter and their upcoming album and shows.
Read MoreBy Poppy Tohill
Being the first independent act to hit the top of the ARIA Singles Chart in a decade with their single'Geronimo' knocking out Pharrell Williams song 'Happy,' from the top spot, Australian band Sheppardproduced the first #1 single ever recorded in Brisbane, also breaking the record for making 'Geronimo' run as the longest independently released #1.
Read MoreBy Poppy Tohill
I was very excited when I heard Julia & Angus Stone are heading our way to perform one show at Auckland's Civic Theatre later next month. Even more so, when I got asked to interview Julia. Unfortunately losing her voice prior to our interview, Julia was kind enough to still respond to my
questions about her solo project and time apart from Angus, their recently released self-titled third album, working with Rick Rubin and of course, their upcoming show on September 27th.
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By Poppy Tohill
Described as a ‘national treasure', the genre-bursting NZTrio continue to thrill both national and international audiences. Bringing the second show of their three part loft series to Auckland's Q Theatre this month, I sat down with cello player Ashley Brown for an in depth conversation about contemporary and classical music, working with composers and what we can expect from the trio's upcoming show this Sunday (September 14th).
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