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W.A.S.P. @ The Wiltern, Los Angeles
The most outrageous band in the world play a home town show
Read more...The Night Before (Great Sounds Great) 2026
Five fresh acts, two venues, one big night for The Night Before
We caught Elly Mae, Nameless and Brainless, Dale Kerrigan, re:ruby and girls factory play across two venues in Newtown as part of Great Sounds Great's "The Night Before" festival.
Read more...Can I Touch Your Feet?
The strangest pre-dive gear-up encounter
That was when it got weird
He looked up at me, crouching in the dirt, oddly calm, his hands plucking at my shoelaces, becoming more urgent, and as his eyes locked on mine he asked - "can I touch your feet?"
Read more...Teen Jesus & the Jean Teasers @ San Fran, Wellington
Teen Jesus glorify San Fran in first Wellington show
Aussie rockers Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers played their last Glory tour date at San Fran in Wellington.
Read more...Fat Freddy's Drop @ Michael Fowler Centre, Wellington
Fat Freddy's Drop play 21 years of Based On A True Story, front to back
Fat Freddy's Drop are like a old well worn pair of audio slippers you just slip on and while away the afternoon in.
They're named after a stronger than usual batch of LSD doing the rounds in Wellington around the time they formed. Nothing is more Wellington than an inside joke for a band name. The tunes though - no laughing matter indeed - you'd be tripping to not love this soul funk jam band spectacular. Wellington was ready to skank.
Read more...The Datsuns @ San Fran, Wellington
The Datsuns park up at San Fran with their ugly warm leather
I fancy a gig by The Datsuns. This was my seventh, and by now I know what I'm getting: it says rock and roll on the tin, there won't be any ballads, and they never disappoint. They were also back at San Fran, the venue I last saw them at in 2014, and the intimate setting suited them then. Had anything changed in the 12 years since I last saw them? Nope. That's just the way I like it.
Read more...Transvision Vamp @ Meow Nui, Wellington
Wendy James still has the attitude, but a thin mix left Transvision Vamp short of nasty
Baby I Don't Care and I Want Your Love were two huge songs as I was coming of age, and I have adored them both ever since. So this first ever chance to see Transvision Vamp had to be taken.
Read more...Last Ever Last Ever
My brief career as a bootleg kingpin, and Wellington's finest rock band's last ever show
Bootleg Empire
In the late 80s, my best friend and I ran a bootleg concert tape business from our bedrooms. Bootleg concert tapes are unofficial recordings of live concerts, traded without any revenue going to the band.
We told our parents it was a grey area of copyright law. (It really wasn't).
Read more...Pixies @ St James Theatre, Wellington
Playing their records Bossanova and Trompe le Monde in full, back to back.
There's a big soft spot in my heart for Pixies. My first Pixies CD was Bossanova and I played that thing to death. I was in bands that played lots of Pixies covers. I've seen them before and they did not disappoint, so, this was a show I didn't want to miss.
Read more...Beastwars @ Meow Nui, Wellington
Beastwars get the crowd purring at Meow Nui, with Soft Bait and Pull Down The Sun.
Wellington's elderly statesmen doom merchants Beastwars are a favourite live act. Mostly because they're the reigning kings of local metal, also because I chatted to the singer once at a gig, and he was super nice - so I feel a connection that way too.
And I must admit, I do like a band that have an average age older than my own.
Read more...That's the ten most recent. There are 8 posts and 20 gigs in all.