Newsletter Issue #204: 12 Oct 2008
The Headless Chickens
What is the best gig/event you have ever performed at, and why?
You mean out of literally hundreds and hundreds of different gigs? Man, there are a whole lot of gigs I can't even remember and then there are loads of others that were great for a whole bunch of different reasons. There was one gig we did in a jam-packed bar in the early '90s in Napier or Hawkes Bay or somewhere, when this rather lovely and interesting-looking young woman sat on the front of the stage and mouthed every single word of every single song in the set at me as I sang them, which quite frankly impressed the hell out of me. I actually tried to find her afterwards because I wanted to talk to her and find out what sort of a person would be so obsessive about my lyrics but she'd obviously disappeared into the night never to return. Must have been a fan, for sure.
There was another night early in the Headless Chickens' career, in 1986 at the Rising Sun Tavern on K'Rd in Auckland, when Chris Knox infamously threw himself backwards through a plate glass window while we were playing 'Do The Headless Chicken' and we ended up taking him to the hospital after the gig to get his cuts stitched up. That was a pretty cool night, too.
What is your favourite NZ venue?
Mmmmmmm.... probably the Powerstation in Auckland just because it's a brilliant room to see a band in and we played so many good shows there - and obviously we're doing our 1st reunion gig there in November - and also because I saw dozens and dozens of other local and overseas bands play absolutely blindingly great gigs there too.
The old Gluepot in Ponsonby was also a bloody good and legendary place to see bands but there have been loads of great venues round the country - Sammy's in Dunedin, Bar Bodega in Wellington, the Dux de Lux in Christchurch, etc - that've supported local music over the years, some of them long gone and some of them still hanging in there.
What can we expect to see from the Headless Chickens over the next year?
Well, us playing songs off our old albums for as long as people still want to come out and see us resurrecting our recent musical past, hopefully with a good deal of class and dignity and musical firepower. We might even decide to write some new stuff some time too, but who knows?
What other NZ musicians or bands would you like to see more of, and why?
You mean the ones that are going now? Well, I never got to see The Fanatics play live, who're probably my favourite local band of recent years, but I don't think they're really doing stuff anymore. I'm trying to get them to do a support slot with the Headless Chickens at the Powerstation just so that I can see them play at least once. I'm also very happy that Weta have reformed because they split up way before they'd worn out their welcome. Oh, and Stefanimal from Dunedin is the best damn thing that's come out of this town since I've been living here: previously the bassplayer in the criminally ignored Mestar, I saw Stef play purely by accident about a month ago but I'll definitely be going to see her next time she performs. Go and check out Stefanimal's songs on MySpace. Very cool.
If you could, what rumour would you start about the Headless Chickens?
If you know anything about the Headless Chickens then you'd know we don't need to start any new rumours about ourselves because everything you might have heard over the years is probably true.
What advice would you like to give to other aspiring musicians?
Get a proper job, you loser.
The Headless Chickens are Chris Matthews, Fiona McDonald, Bevan Sweeney, Grant Fell, Michael Lawry and Anthony Nevison.
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These Four Walls
Thanks to Gray and Brad for answering these questions:
What is the best gig/event you have ever performed at, and why?
Probably the 'Walk Away' video release party. We put a lot of effort into making sure everything went smoothly. We held it at a venue that didn’t usually have bands, so we took our own stage, sound system, projectors, screens – The lot – and we packed 500 people into this place and had one hell of a show.
What is your favourite NZ venue?
Kings Arms in Auckland has always been good to us – It’s one of the only bars in Auckland actually set up to have bands play – takes a lot of pressure off us to get everything setup and ready on time.
What can we expect to see from These Four Walls over the next year?
More than anyone has seen from us before. Next step is a tour, then we’re jumping into the studio to get our debut album done then most likely back on the road. We’re a live band – always have been and always will be – if everything goes to plan, 2009 will see us in every venue in every city we can get our filthy selves into.
What other NZ musicians or bands would you like to see more of, and why?
One of the great tragedies of NZ music is the large number of bands that put out one album and then break up before they even make a second. Bands like Weta, Eight and Stardrunk started out with a lot of promise, and may have gotten much better given the chance. I don’t think these bands all split up for personal reasons, I know how hard it is to survive in an industry as small as ours – If we want to get the best out of artists we have to support them by purchasing albums and actually going to see live shows. Don’t just say you like NZ music, take that $30 you’re going to spend on a NZ music month T-Shirt and spend it on some NZ music instead.
If you could, what rumour would you start about These Four Walls?
I tried to start a rumor that our singer, Steve, is the illegitimate love-child of Billy Ray Cyrus, so that we’d get played on The Edge FM. So far it hasn’t worked.
What advice would you like to give to other aspiring musicians?
Be patient. Play as many gigs with as many different bands as you can. Take some time to really work on your songs and make sure you’re happy with them before you put them out. And son’t expect anything to happen overnight. If it does, it probably won’t last long.
These Four Walls are Steve Gibb (vocals, guitar), Gray Vickers (guitar), Brad Vickers (drums) and Christopher Treeby (bass).
Website Links:
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Official Website
MySpace Profile
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Marvels & Wonders
Marvels & Wonders is Tomas Browne and Majd Petros. The pair, who are 19 and 18 respectively, have been friends for many years and have both always been fans of all kinds of electronic music. It was until August of this year that the pair decided to pursue creating an electronic duo, after Tomas bought his first synthesizer. Since then the pair have created a bedroom studio which allows the two to record, produce and master all their tracks at home. Our debut track 'Daybreak' was released on our MySpace this month. In the next month we plan to get more tracks on radio, and in the next year wish to sign to a label, release some singles and videos, record and release an album, play some live shows and eventually take our music to Europe.
Marvels & Wonders are Tomas Browne and Majd Petros.
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NZ Music News
Flight Of The Conchords Swoop On The Tuis
The 2008 Tuis have been handed out tonight (Oct. 8) at the biggest-ever production in the 43-year history of the Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards.
Flight of the Conchords and Opshop have cleaned up at the star-studded event at Auckland’s Vector Arena with each group bagging four Tuis.
Flight of the Conchords has taken out the coveted Nokia Album of the Year with the duo’s debut self-titled album. The record also netted the superstar duo the Steinlager Pure Best Group and the Kiwi FM Breakthrough Artist of the Year awards.
Popular favourite Opshop is back in force for 2008 adding four more Tuis to its bulging trophy cabinet. Opshop knocked back strong competition from Tiki Taane and Shihad to win the prestigious Vodafone Single of the Year for the super hit One Day.
Opshop also won Highest Selling NZ Single (One Day), Highest Selling NZ Album (Second Hand Planet), and NZ On Air Radio Airplay Record of the Year (Maybe).
International Achievement Awards were presented to Savage and Flight of the Conchords.
Savage’s single Swing has been a huge hit on the US Singles chart with sales topping half a million and the track has been remixed by international hip-hop superstar Soulja Boy. Meanwhile, Flight of the Conchords’ debut album and popular HBO show has seen the comedy duo receive a Grammy, the highest ever place for a New Zealand artist album on the US Album chart (#3) and numerous Emmy nominations.
Firm favourite Tiki Taane was nominated for a formidable eight Tui awards and was a popular winner of the Best Aotearoa Roots Album.
Big Day Out 2009 First Announcement
Big Day Out is honoured to announce the arrival of one of those rare modern musicians for whom the term “legend” is more under than over-statement: NEIL YOUNG. At a prolific phase of his 40-year-plus career, YOUNG is leading his band through eclectic set lists, picking from 2008’s Chrome Dreams II, delving into classics like Hey Hey, My My, and venting his activist’s spleen on Let’s Impeach the President. Witness the many faces of a true rock icon, NEIL YOUNG at BIG DAY OUT 2009.
We bet that ARCTIC MONKEYS look good on the BIG DAY OUT stage...'cos that's exactly where they'll be this summer, inspiring a frenzy of indie dancing as they whip out tunes from their world-beating albums, Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not and Favourite Worst Nightmare. But wait, there's more – it appears the lads have decamped to the Californian desert to begin laying down album No.3… with none other than Queens of the Stone Age's Josh Homme manning the desk. The rock'n'roll mind boggles at what they'll come up with. Be first in the world to hear the results when Sheffield's own ARCTIC MONKEYS reveal all at BIG DAY OUT.
Run away boys THE LIVING END had a monumental start to their career producing the massive selling EP/single “Prisoner of Society”/ “Second Solution”. And their well-loved punkabilly sing-alongs have continued to rock us out over the past ten years…but enough talk of the past! THE LIVING END return to stand and deliver a rousing festival set for BIG DAY OUT fans this summer, with blistering hits from their uber successful LP White Noise. Recorded with the assistance of John Agnello (Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr) and mixed by the legendary Brendan O’Brien (AC/DC and Pearl Jam) it wouldn’t be stretching the truth to say this album is of the finest rock’n’roll pedigree. Dig it live at BDO!
Smack my BIG DAY OUT up! It’s the one, the only, the original, THE PRODIGY, back for BDO No.4. The British pioneers of crash-bang-boom rocktronica will be armed with a brand new album (due in February), and the same old fierceness. After leaving festival fields littered with blown minds all across the European summer, Liam, Maxim and Keith are in rare form. What’s the new stuff like? Liam Howlett has dropped the words “mad”, “buzzing”, “on fire” and “fresh”. You could take his word for it, or just get it straight in yo’ face when THE PRODIGY invade BIG DAY OUT 2009...
Full Article
SmokeFree Partners with BDO
Full Gig Details
Head like a Hole reform for Vodafone Homegrown
After 8 years apart New Zealand rock legends Head like a Hole are set to reunite exclusively for next year’s Vodafone Homegrown music festival.
Along with Shihad, Head like a Hole dominated the 90’s delivering a serious dose of hard rock with flourishes of country. They have a live act that has to be seen to be believed and made a name for themselves with energetic and often outrageous live performances, appearing on stage either naked, caked with mud, or covered completely in body paint.
They produced four albums over 10 years, with hits including Comfortably Shagged, Wet Rubber, Hootenanny, Juicy Lucy and some inspired covers such as Bruce Springsteen’s I’m on Fire and Summer Nights from Greece. Their music video's were often as in-your-face and as controversial as the band themselves with one video not allowed to be screened before 10pm and another being banned outright.
Full Article
Full Vodafone Homegrown Lineup
Full Gig Details
Smokefree Pacifica Beats 2008 Grand Final Winners
Maori cultural pop rock band Upper2Street have won the annual national Smokefree Pacifica Beats competition. With band members hailing from Wairoa High School in 
northern Hawke's Bay, the dual female vocal-led band made a stand out performance on Saturday night at Auckland's Beaumont Centre with a sound blending modern pop rock and traditional Maori waiata.
Upper2Street beat five other high school bands to receive the coveted prize pack that includes musical equipment from Musicworks to the value of $3,500 and the guaranteed recording of two songs for the band.
Second place went to Tone Def from Aotea College in Porirua, and special mention was made to the amazing performance of The Essence from Papatoetoe high school who also won the APRA Songwriters Award.
IMNZ September/October News
Firstly, kia ora to our new members Creepshow Productions, Eclipse Music, Dunedinmusic.com, Kolab and Charlie Horse Records. And good skills were shown by Jason Kerrison, Bobby Kennedy, Matt Treacy and Clinton Harris – a.k.a. Opshop - who won the 2008 APRA Silver Scroll award and the Most Performed Work in New Zealand for their song One Day, and also Ruia Aperahama who won the APRA Maioha Award celebrating contemporary Maori music with Rere Reta Rere Reta. Best of luck also to our artists who are in the running for awards at the Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards tonight.
The Ruby Suns and The Naked and Famous will be performing along with Cut Off Your Hands and Bang Bang Eche at the New Zealand Showcase on October 22 at this year’s CMJ which is hosted by the NZ Music Commission and NZ On Air. And congratulations go out to IMNZ Outward Sound recipients Little Bushman (for Australia), Pitch Black (for the US), The Naked & Famous (for the US), Kolab (for Australia) and Coco Solid (for London, Berlin and New York). Also well done also to the IMNZ winners of the Juice TV Awards held on September 30: Nesian Mystik, Tahuna Breaks and Tiki Taane, who was the Video Artist of the Year.
We’d like to say ‘good work!’ to the IMNZ artists in the first Big Day Out announcement: Tiki Taane, The Black Seeds, The Datsuns, Nesian Mystik, Cobra Khan, Ladi 6 and The Naked And Famous; you can catch them on Friday January 16th Auckland Mt Smart Stadium. And artists for the Vodafone Homegrown festival have just been announced for March 14 2009; the IMNZ contingent includes Kora, Opshop, The Black Seeds, Tiki, Tahuna Breaks, Concord Dawn, Head Like A Hole, State of Mind, Fur Patrol, Dick Johnson, The Coshercot Honeys, Tiger Tones and DJ Reno.
Juice TV Awards 2009 - The Winners
Best Group Video
Goodnight Nurse ‘The Night’
Thanks To Music Works
Best Solo Video
Tiki Taane ‘Always On My Mind’
Best Rock Video
False Start ‘Four Letter Lie’
Thanks To Jack Daniel's
Best Hip Hop Video
Nesian Mystik ‘Nesian 101’
Thanks To Ice Interactive
Breakthrough Video
Jonny Love ‘Not The First Not The Last’
Thanks To Primo
Best Roots/Eletronica Video
Tahuna Breaks ‘Real Life’
Thanks To Edwards
Telecom Top Video
48 May ‘Car Crash Weather’
Video Artist Of The Year
Tiki Taane
Queenstown’s all jazzed up for Labour Weekend Sunday
Fresh from performances at London’s Ronnie Scott’s and The Palladium, New Zealand violin virtuoso Fiona Pears will be headlining at two special ASB JazzFest Queenstown concerts this Labour Weekend.
From 11am on Sunday 26 October, Ms Pears will take locals and visitors to new heights with her amazing mix of Celtic, gypsy, Latin and classical jazz at the top of the Gondola in the iconic Skyline complex. The Skyline JazzFest Sunday Brunch will be held at the Skyline Restaurant and the $44 ticket will include a full sumptuous buffet brunch and return Gondola Ride.
The same night she will celebrating the festival’s 30th anniversary in style at the JazzFest Finale, performing alongside uptown blues maestros King Leo and the Growling Dogs, Melbourne’s jazz groove gurus the Michael Story Trio, Latino and groove jazz fusion ensemble ‘Subject2change’, and the Frank Gibson Trio featuring New Zealand’s foremost drummer, plus some special guests.
ASB JazzFest Queenstown director Harvey Maguire promises the finale concert, to be held at the Queenstown Memorial Hall, will be a night to remember.
2009 APRA Professional Development Awards
The Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) is proud to announce an increased financial and cultural commitment to songwriters and composers.
In 2009, APRA New Zealand will award three Professional Development Awards (PDAs). These Awards will recognise the potential of emerging songwriters and composers in three categories: Pop Contemporary, Classical and Film/Television.
The New Zealand PDAs have not only extended from one to three, we are also proud to announce that the support we provide has also increased - with each winner given an increased cash award of $12,000 and thanks to Gibson, a brand new Gibson guitar! The APRA Professional Development Award offers cash towards travel or education and also recognition to emerging music writers with outstanding ability, that need a little help to make their dreams a reality. APRA members - it’s very simple: you tell us what your professional development goal is, and if you are a winning applicant you get $12,000 to make that professional development happen. Applications are due by Monday 1 December 2008.
The three successful applicants will be announced February 2009.
Salmonella Dub: Feel The Seasons Change
Virgin/EMI Music New Zealand are proud to announce the release of Feel The Seasons Change – a live album from Salmonella Dub and the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra.
In February this year Salmonella Dub, the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and guests collaborated for the Feel The Seasons Change tour of New Zealand. The tour has now been immortalised through the release of a live album of the same name.
The shows combined Salmonella Dub’s contemporary music and production values with elements of te reo Maori, the ancient arts of taonga puoro (traditional Maori instruments) and the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra’s classical tradition.
The collaboration was graced with three special guests: acclaimed te reo singer Whirimako Black, taonga puoro expert Richard Nunns, and leading electronic musician Paddy Free of Pitch Black; all woven together by noted Christchurch arranger and composer Tom Rainey and conductor Hamish Mckeich.
Material for Feel The Seasons Change was largely drawn from Salmonella Dub’s most recent album Heal Me, as well as classics from their extensive back catalogue. It also drew on excerpts of tracks from Paddy Free and Richard Nunn's new album Karekare: Te Reo O Te Whenua, and orchestral arrangements including new works composed by Tom Rainey. Rainey took a ground-up collaborative approach to the arrangements, making the NZSO an integral part of the music to create a unified sound scape, rather than just bolstering the performances as a ‘backing group’.
Free Music Downloads
Download some free music from An Emerald City and Epitome.
Mumsdollar: Ruins
'Ruins' is the fifth independently released record from the five-piece rock act Mumsdollar. Hailing from South Auckland, Mumsdollar's music has become both more focused and more broadly appealing with each new release, culminating in the truly international sound of 'Ruins'.
The band's previous album 'A Beautiful Life' (2005) was well received in New Zealand, Australia, the United States and Japan, with sales of more than 10,000 units. Mumsdollar toured extensively on the success of 'A Beautiful Life' - performing to crowds of over 10,000, both at home and abroad - and so it came as no surprise to their many fans that the album was a finalist at the 2006 New Zealand Music Awards.
Having maintained a consistent line-up for nine years, Mumsdollar really are 'Brothers in Arms' (the title of the second 'Ruins' radio single) who have merged a wide array of rock, punk and pop influences to create a sonic landscape that is uniquely their own. Three years in the making, 'Ruins' successfully captures this unique sound, as well as the band's global outlook, with recording taking place at York Street Studios in Auckland, mixing at The Grove in Sydney and mastering at Masterdisk in New York.
Farmer Pimp: Back on the Tractor
Adding the last touches of spice and a little sweetener to the mix, Auckland band Farmer Pimp have emerged from a writing and recording hiatus that sees them getting ready to present their finest material yet with their debut LP Sweet Hot Pepper Pop projected for release March 2009.
Locally loved and applauded for their dynamic live shows, and unique and innovative blending of musical genres, Farmer Pimp are incredibly excited about the coming album and looking forward to getting out on the live circuit again.
Formed at music school four years ago, Farmer Pimp is the creative partnership of Mark Michel and Claire Holmes (songwriter/producer and songwriter/singer respectively), with band support from prominent local musicians J.P Muir (synths and keys), Mahuia Bridgeman-Cooper (violin) and Ant Druff (drums).
Drawing comparisons with the sparse layered beats of Portishead, Farmer Pimp cite their influences as everything from dixie jazz, to hip hop, metal to classical, mixing old school with the new to create uniquely beautiful music.
Mobile Stud Unit News
2008 sees the 15th anniversary of the formation of MSU (or Mobile Stud Unit if you're not into the whole brevity thing). The Hamilton band may have become a little less prolific in recent times, but over the years have proven to be a stalwart of student radio nationwide.
Meshing a punky, rocky sound with overtly joking lyrics, the band have churned out three albums over the years, even cropping up in Greg Page's film The Locals. To give you an idea, song titles include such charming ditties as "Grut Sniffer" and "Beef Curtains".
So, what better way to celebrate 15 years together than to break up.
2008-2009 Summer Festivals and NYE Events
Site of the moment: Area 51 Studios
West Auckland's premier rehersal studios. Ideal for tour rehersals, broardcast/live recordings, media center during tour build-up, pre-production for recording, plus everyday jamming of course!
Muzic.net.nz News
Competitions
Congratulations to the following people:
- R. Rangi (Manukau) and T. Edmonds (Maeroa) have each won a double pass to see dDub,
- V. Stephens (Glenfield) won a double pass to the Jambalaya Spring Carnival,
- J. Power (Ashburton) will be heading along to Southern Amp with a friend, and has also won the latest albums from Tiki Taane and Concord Dawn,
- S. Draffin (Dunedin) and O. King (Timaru) will soon be receiving a copy of dDub's lates album 'Medicine Man'; and
- B. Forsyth (Auckland) has won a double pass to Who's Ya Mama next Saturday.
Don't miss out on your chance to win the following prizes:
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Win a double pass to see Angel Hammer play at The Cabana in Napier on 23 October 08. |
 |
Infamous hardcore punk band Tempo 38 from the Hawkes Bay have released their new EP 'Septic Proof' and we have two copies to give away! |
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Win a double pass to Thank Funk It's Friday at 4:20 in Auckland on Friday 24 October. |
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This Is Pop And Roll is the debut album from the Auckland based four piece pop'n'roll super group Streetwise Scarlet. Enter now to go into the draw to win a copy of this album! |
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'Fly Home' is the third single released by These Four Walls and follows in the success of 'Walk Away' and 'Under The Shadows'. |
Reviews
Check out these latest reviews:
- Tempo 38 - 'Septic Proof' EP review
- Hangman - 'Trade Goods' EP review
- The 2008 Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards review
The next muzic.net.nz newsletter is going out on 26 October and will feature Eqwanox and Antagonist A.D.
There are four newsletters left for 2008 and they are filling up quickly so if you are a NZ musician or in a band, and would like to promote your music before the year is out by featuring in one of our newsletters, contact Lisa today!
We have space available in our last 2 newsletters (dated 23 November, and 7 December) and can also feature NZ music websites, venues, record companies and anything else that is somehow associated with NZ music.
If you don't get in now, you will have to wait until next year. The first issue of the muzic.net.nz newsletter for 2009 is planned for mid January.
If you would like to advertise your next album release or tour in our newsletter and/or gig mail out email Lisa. It is 100% FREE to feature or advertise in our newsletter and gig mail outs!
Our gig mail outs will continue through the Christmas break. Our super special New Years Eve and summer festival edition of the gig mail out will go out on 28 December 08 - if you would like to advertise your summer tour in this issue, contact Lisa as soon as possible!
We also offer advertising on the muzic.net.nz website for very competitive prices.
- The muzic.net.nz team
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