A chaotic week of concert announcements.
A chaotic week of concert announcements.
All the gig news you may have missed. Plus, five songs to listen to and discuss ahead of the weekend.
If your head is spinning, I don’t blame you.
It’s been a lot.
On Sunday, boy band Take That – minus Robbie Williams – announced an Auckland show that was overshadowed by news that Sophie Ellis-Bexter, currently enjoying a murderous, Saltburn-encrusted resurgence, would be opening for them.
The following day, a stand-up comedy show by Trevor Noah was confirmed, along with a Powerstation gig by rap-rock act Gym Class Heroes, and a performance by UK alt-rockers Nothing But Thieves, all in Auckland.
On Tuesday, the same day Laneway bounced back better than ever, an old school West Auckland hip-hop showcase headlined by Pimp My Ride star Xzibit, with D12 and Obie Trice in tow, was revealed.
(I love this poster, which looks like it was put together on Adobe Photoshop in 2003).
The following day, a Wednesday, Jack Black’s surprisingly popular joke-rock duo Tenacious D confirmed two New Zealand shows, and a weird, potentially fake SZA tour was announced by NZ Herald and literally no one else.
On Thursday, Live Nation confirmed that two-date SZA tour was real and announced a Ben Howard Auckland Town Hall show.
After an incredibly slow and ponderous January with exactly zero concert announcements to get excited about, this past week has more than made up for it.
I can only say this.
We. Are. So. Back.
Here are the full details for all of those shows:
Three members of UK boy band Take That (Gary Barlow, Mark Owen and Howard Donald, touring without Robbie Williams) will perform at Spark Arena on November 5, with Sophie Ellis-Bexter in support. Right now, she could play ‘Murder on the Dancefloor’ for an hour and everyone would go home happy. Tickets are available via a pre-sale now; they’re on general release on Wednesday.
South African comedian and former The Daily Show host Trevor Noah will perform at Spark Arena on November 5. I haven’t seen him live, but I’ve heard good things. Pre-sales are on now, and floor seats max out at $150, nowhere near the $850 Jerry Seinfeld is charging for his June show in the same venue.
Gym Class Heroes weren’t part of my disgraceful rap-rock nu-metal phase, but people seem pleased that they’ve announced a Powerstation show. Expect plenty of chain wallets, baggy shorts and Vans. They’re playing on March 12; tickets are on sale from 10am today. If you’re into that, you may also be into Nothing But Thieves, playing in the same venue on May 9. Tickets are available now.
I last saw Xzibit perform at Raggamuffin in 2016 when even he seemed surprised by the reaction of a rammed afternoon West Auckland crowd. So his old school hip-hop showcase with D12 and Obie Trice could be lots of fun. They’re all playing Christchurch’s Wolfbrook Arena on June 28, and Auckland’s Trusts Arena on June 29. Tickets go on sale on February 14.
Turns out there was a point to Jack Black’s cameo at the Foo Fighters a few weeks ago: it was a mini-promo for an upcoming Tenacious D tour. Black’s joke-rock duo will perform at Wellington’s TSB Arena on July 24 and Auckland’s Spark Arena on July 26 as part of their Spicy Meatball Tour. The pre-sale is over; tickets go on general release today.
The SZA tour is real. I repeat: the SZA tour is real. After causing mass confusion with a weird unconfirmed story in the print edition of NZ Herald, Live Nation has confirmed the R&B singer will perform two Spark Arena shows on April 15 and 16, her first time here since her incredible 2018 performance. Pre-sales begin today; the general release starts on Monday. This could be the show of the year, so I will be in those online queues.
British crooner Ben Howard is playing here for the first time in 10 years with an Auckland Town Hall show. He’s here on June 3; a pre-sale begins at 11am today.
This is so hectic.
After a summer with more than 100 festival events, it almost feels too busy. Clearly, demand for post-Covid live entertainment hasn’t peaked yet, and doesn’t look likely to do so anytime soon.
Don’t get me wrong: I’m not complaining.
But my wallet sure is.
New Music Friday, or something…
I don’t know what to call this.
Naming things is difficult.
But I do know that I want to keep doing it, to make this a regular Friday event.
Finding and discussing new music, I mean.
As the internet continues to unravel, we’re all going to have to find our online safe havens, small communities that we can turn to and trust when everything else seems to be offering AI-created, algorithmically-driven scammy clickbait.
The format’s pretty simple: I deliver five songs I have been listening to and loving.
Then I want to hear from you. Share the songs you’ve been blasting, old or new, and together we end up creating a nice little Friday discovery package ready to dive into for the weekend.
This only works with everyone sharing and getting involved, so please, check my songs out, then share your own tunes with me :)
Burial – ‘Dreamfear’
You can rely on the sporadic output of the British producer Burial to go to places few others go. ‘Dreamfear’ is nearly 13 minutes of scratchy atmospherics, vocal samples, hazy breakbeats and thumping drum and bass, a constantly shifting sonic platter that I could listen to for hours. (Those hours should probably be between 2-4am)
John Glacier – ‘Money Shows’
I don’t know anything about John Glacier, and I want to keep it that way. To find out more feels like it would destroy the magic of ‘Money Shows’, a powerhouse song with glitchy beats, monotonous, spoken-word vocals and a strummed guitar. Mesmerising.
Buzz – ‘Rotting Away’
Super moody, low-fi alt-grunge from a very young five-piece New Zealand act? Sign me up for more of this, immediately.
Chalk – ‘Claw’
Another act I know little about but this sounds like Hot Chip drank too many cocktails while listening to Tricky and woke up with a throbbing hangover. Into it.
Sofia Bolt – ‘Go Away’
Only the French can make alt-pop sound this dreamy.
J Mascis – ‘Old Friends’
There’s something instantly reassuring about hearing J Mascis’ rambling voice. You know what you’re going to get and it’s always good. I just bought a ticket to Dinosaur Jr’s Town Hall show in March. Blink-182 are playing that same night. I reckon I made the right decision.
Thanks for reading Boiler Room. I’ll be back on Monday. Until then, let me know what you’re listening to, or watching, or reading, and we’ll talk then.
Chris.