Posts Tagged New Zealand
Archive
September 13, 2021 by Simon Sweetman
Poem: There’s No Name Suppression In New Zealand
There’s no name suppression in New Zealand There are no privileged without charms There’s no name suppression in New Zealand We all know who you are But everybody’s talking about Covid-19 Cause everybody’s talking about Covid-19 But we’re as safe as can be so move us to level three! We have no restrictions We have […]Archive
April 24, 2021 by Simon Sweetman
Authors I Admire: # 17 Owen Marshall
I’ve been thinking about Owen Marshall a bit lately. I feel like, in some way, I’m often thinking about him, have been since I was about 15 or 16. That’s when I met him – er, on the page, that is. I’ve never met him. I’d like to. I’d love to interview him one day. […]Archive
July 26, 2020 by Simon Sweetman
Ten of My All-Time Favourite Kiwi Songs
When I wrote these notes I was planning for the start of my book about favourite NZ songs. All of these songs made it into that book – and were written about in further detail. In most cases I spoke with the songwriters or key players/producers involved with the music. On Song featured 30 tunes, […]Archive
September 1, 2019 by Simon Sweetman
Don’t Fight It – It’s Bigger Than The ID
We don’t know how lucky we are. The music that means the most to me from New Zealand artists is barely ever the product of a funding body, doesn’t have corporate sponsors, isn’t major label-endorsed. It’s the battlers. It’s about brave hearts and (sometimes) troubled souls. It’s about an energy. An anger. A feeling. It’s […]Archive
January 1, 2019 by Simon Sweetman
The Vinyl Countdown # 345
Michael Houstoun, Piano (1979) This is my favourite $1 op-shop find. For now at least. I love Michael Houstoun – amazing talent, I feel lucky thinking about the number of times I’ve seen him perform. He threatens retirement this year but I always enjoy his playing. I love classical piano and Beethoven too – so it’s […]Archive
March 13, 2018 by Simon Sweetman
NZ Festival Writers & Readers: CK Stead – In Full Stride
CK Stead: In Full Stride Circa 2, Circa Theatre Saturday, March 10 This Writers & Readers session, featured CK Stead in conversation with Steve Braunias. The reason for the talk was Stead’s latest novel, Necessary Angel; reviewed well, largely, received well, Braunias joked in his intro that it should be boring, shouldn’t work but somehow […]Archive
March 13, 2018 by Simon Sweetman
Marching To The Beat Of Their Own Drums: Short Interviews With Ari Hoenig, Anthony Donaldson and Dave Weckl
There are drummer jokes for most musical occasions but almost all of them feature a punchline mocking the drummer’s intelligence. Talk to a good player and they’ll be thoughtful and wise; focussed and passionate. I talked to three great drummers – all set to be the star of the show for a few moments or […]Archive
March 12, 2018 by Simon Sweetman
NZ Festival Writers & Readers: Francis Spufford & Elizabeth Knox Talk About God
Francis Spufford & Elizabeth Knox Talk About God Circa One, Circa Theatre Saturday, March 10 This Writers & Readers session featured a conversation about God between long-time correspondents Francis Spufford (UK) and Elizabeth Knox (NZ). It was, if you’ll pardon the pun, a spirited conversation. It was lively, funny and often irritating. For a start, […]Archive
January 14, 2018 by Simon Sweetman
The Vinyl Countdown # 449
V/A, Heed The Call! (Whakarongo, Nga Tamariki): Soul, Funk & Disco From Aotearoa, 1973-1983 (2017) This is a new release, or was at the end of last year – I guess it was my Christmas present to myself. A must-have just for the long version of Dalvanius & The Fascinations’ Voodoo Lady. But so much […]Archive
December 13, 2017 by Simon Sweetman
Playlist: Great Kiwi Driving Playlist
There are several great Kiwi roadtrip albums that I always pack for a trip – but how about a single playlist? Well, ahem, For Today, I thought this would do…50 songs that should get you from A to B with even enough time if you plan to head on to C or have to pull […]Archive
October 25, 2017 by Simon Sweetman