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Posts Tagged Review

Archive

July 3, 2022 by Simon Sweetman

The Black Phone: Film

The Black Phone Director: Scott Derrickson Blumhouse Productions / Crooked Highway / Universal Pictures The Black Phone is both a chilling, cold, dark and disturbing horror film and, within it, there’s a beautifully written story of resilience and the manifestations of trauma. It is a survivor’s story. To drill down too far into either is […]
Posted in Blog, Reviews · Tagged Blumhouse Productions / Crooked Highway / Universal Pictures, Cinema, Ethan Hawke, Film, Film Review, Horror, Joe Hill, Movie, Movie Review, Review, Scott Derrickson, Stephen King, The Black Phone, To follow me in all the right places check out the Linktree right here. And to subscribe to my Substack newsletter “Sounds Good” click here ·

Archive

June 24, 2022 by Simon Sweetman

When You Have To Work To Love An Album And It’s Worth It

I’m often asked about a time when I changed my mind and/or got it wrong. Here’s an example then I guess. When I first heard Let England Shake by PJ Harvey, I did not like it. I didn’t like it at all. I just did not connect with it. The title song was okay, and I quite liked […]
Posted in Blog, Miscellany · Tagged And It's Worth It, Blog, demos, Let England Shake, PJ Harvey, Review, Want more? Check out my Substack You can also support Off The Tracks via PressPatron, When You Have To Work To Love An Album, When You Have To Work To Love An Album And It's Worth It ·

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June 14, 2022 by Simon Sweetman

David Sedaris: Happy-Go-Lucky

Happy-Go-Lucky David Sedaris Little, Brown and Company; First Edition A new David Sedaris book is a treat. If you’re a fan, a convert, you’re generally there for life – keen and waiting. He’s given us plenty already, and been very generous across the last few years with a bit of closet-cleaning resulting in two volumes […]
Posted in Blog, Reviews · Tagged Book, Book Review, David Sedaris, David Sedaris: Happy-Go-Lucky, Essays, Happy Go Lucky, Non-FIction, Review, Sedaris, Want more? Check out my Substack You can also support Off The Tracks via PressPatron, Writing ·

Archive

June 13, 2022 by Simon Sweetman

Campfire Tales at The Royal Hotel: Saturday June 11

Campfire Tales Saturday, June 11 The Royal Hotel, Featherston Campfire Tales, part of this year’s Booktown Festival in Featherston, ran across two nights at The Royal Hotel. A brilliant venue and setting for a set of ghostly stories read aloud by actors under candlelight. I went to Saturday’s show – the second performance. I’m told […]
Posted in Blog, Reviews · Tagged 2022, Beware The Moon, Booktown, Campfire, Campfire Tales, Campfire Tales at The Royal Hotel: Saturday June 11, Dramatic Reading, Event, Featherston, Horror, Horror Stories, June 11, Reading, Review, Saturday, Short Stories, Stories, The Royal Hotel, Want more? Check out my Substack You can also support Off The Tracks via PressPatron, Writing ·

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June 12, 2022 by Simon Sweetman

Shopping Karts: ‘Til The Wheels Fall Off

I just wanted to mention a brand new album by someone that I think is a very special talent indeed. Well, I have to. He’s my son! Yes. Darling Oscar, 10 years old, has made his first album. He did so with the help of my good friend Sam. Best Man at our wedding, one […]
Posted in Blog, Miscellany · Tagged 'Til The Wheels Fall Off, Album, Blog, Oscar, Preview, Review, Sam, Shopping Karts, Shopping Karts: 'Til The Wheels Fall Off, YouTube ·

Archive

May 25, 2022 by Simon Sweetman

Ricky Gervais: SuperNature

Ricky Gervais: SuperNature Director: Ricky Gervais Netflix I haven’t found Ricky Gervais funny for a lot longer than I ever found him funny, something I explored when I made the wrong move of watching season three of After Life (I had mostly enjoyed the first two seasons, the first especially).
Posted in Blog, Reviews · Tagged Comedy, Comedy Special, Comedy Special Review, Live, Netflix, Netflix Comedy, Review, Ricky Gervais, Ricky Gervais: SuperNature, Stand Up, Stand-up Comedy, SuperNature, To follow me in all the right places check out the Linktree right here. And to subscribe to my Substack newsletter “Sounds Good” click here ·

Archive

April 24, 2022 by Simon Sweetman

Gig Review: Hermione Johnson with Riki Gooch and Anthony Donaldson (April 21, Wellington)

Hermione Johnson w/ Riki Gooch and Anthony Donaldson Meow; Wellington Thursday, April 21 Earlier in the week I made sure I bought a ticket to see Hermione Johnson with Riki Gooch and Anthony Donaldson. Because I knew that if I didn’t book it then and there I’d make any excuse at the end of a […]
Posted in Blog, Reviews · Tagged 2022, Anthony Donaldson, April, April 21, Coronavirus, Covid, Covid-19, Drums, Gig, Gig Review, Gig Review: Hermione Johnson with Riki Gooch and Anthony Donaldson (April 21, Hermione Johnson, Hermione Johnson w/ Riki Gooch and Anthony Donaldson, Improv, Improvisation, Live, Live Gig, Live Music, Meow; Wellington, Percussion, Piano, Review, Riki Gooch, Thursday, Wellington ·

Archive

January 26, 2022 by Simon Sweetman

The Crude Farce of After Life Season Three

I haven’t always had a problem with Ricky Gervais. I was a big fan of The Office – who wasn’t? I think Extras was possibly better, smarter. And, at the time, I was even into his stand-up comedy specials. Each one arriving with special-club buzz. They haven’t aged well. They weren’t really great at the […]
Posted in Blog, Miscellany · Tagged After Life, Ashley Jensen, Blog, Comedian, Comedy, Crude Farce, Derek, Diane Morgan, Extras, https://linktr.ee/Simonsweetman, Movies, Netflix, Review, Ricky Gervais, S.3, Season Three, Television, The Crude Farce of After Life Season Three, The Office, TV, Twitter, Want more? Check out my Substack You can also support Off The Tracks via PressPatron ·

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January 23, 2022 by Simon Sweetman

Wellington Comedy Presents – Friday Laughs at The Cavern Club (Friday, January 21, 2022)

Wellington Comedy: Friday Laughs Cavern Club Friday, January 21 Last year I wrote about attending Raw Meat Monday which felt like a way back in to a comedy scene I had never really experienced. My deal with reviewing comedy was mostly internationals, and some Comedy Festival or Fringe shows. Single acts. Usually big names. The […]
Posted in Blog, Miscellany · Tagged 2022, Cavern Club, Comedian, Comedy, Comedy Night, Comedy Review, Friday, Friday Laughs at The Cavern Club, Gig, https://linktr.ee/Simonsweetman, Humourous Arts Trust, January 21, Lesa Macleod-Whiting, Live Comedy, Live Review, Ray O'Leary, Review, Rose Northey, Sameena Zehra, Sarah Courtney, Show, Stand Up, Stand-up Comedy, Want more? Check out my Substack You can also support Off The Tracks via PressPatron, Wellington, Wellington Comedy, Wellington Comedy Presents, Wellington Comedy Presents – Friday Laughs at The Cavern Club, Zach Mandeville ·

Archive

December 4, 2021 by Simon Sweetman

RNZ Reviews: December 2021

Once a month or so I have a chat on RNZ on their Afternoons show with Jesse Mulligan. I’ve been doing it for about five years now. Most months. This was my first time in for 2021. For my final session of 2021 I found two albums that featured covers, moving the original songs to solo piano; two […]
Posted in Blog, Reviews · Tagged 2021, a Journey on Piano, Afternoons, Afternoons with Jesse Mulligan, At My Piano, Brian Wilson, December, Demian Dorelli, Demian Dorelli: Nick Drake’s Pink Moon - a Journey on Piano, Instrumental, Jesse Mulligan, Music Reviews, Piano, Pink Moon, Radio, Radio New Zealand, Radio NZ, Review, Reviews, RNZ, RNZ Reviews, RNZ Reviews: December 2021, Road, Simon Sweetman, Solo, The Beach Boys, Til I Die ·

Archive

November 27, 2021 by Simon Sweetman

Stubs: # 287 PJ Harvey, Wellington, 2017

I saw PJ Harvey in 2004, flew to Sydney – went with a couple of my best mates, it was incredible. Shortly after she announced she was retiring from stage-work. Well, she came back after a few years away and then I didn’t go to Auckland and see her again, and sorta wished I had. […]
Posted in Blog, Miscellany · Tagged 2017), Concert, Gig, Live, MFC, PJ, PJ Harvey, Review, Stub, Stubs, Stubs # 287, Stubs: # 287 PJ Harvey, Wellington ·

Archive

November 22, 2021 by Simon Sweetman

The Little Mermaid – The Pantomime: Reviewed by Oscar Sweetman (age 10)

Someone told me what my review would be like. Gavin Rutherford. He said, from the stage, “I know your review is going to be like, ‘Oscar!! You’re gonna say I’m too old for this but I still liked it”’. (He is the narrator/ Lyall’s mum and I know I said ”he” but he dresses up […]
Posted in Blog, Miscellany · Tagged Circa, Dahlia, Gavin Rutherford, Oscar Sweetman, Pantomime, Review, The Little Mermaid, The Little Mermaid – The Pantomime: Reviewed by Oscar Sweetman (age 10) ·
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