12 posts tagged “new zealand”

G-TARanaki also includes fringe events in the CBD bars and cafes, exhibitions, forums, workshops and acoustic sets – all held for the first time in New Zealand! This is an event for everyone, from ardent music fans to aspiring musicians, bringing together internationally renowned artists working and jamming with Kiwi talent and passing on their knowledge, experiences and skills.

G-TARanaki Festival - Main Event Presented by Venture Taranaki
Friday 18th July 4.30pm - 5.00pm: National Acts (TBC) 5.00pm - 5.30pm: Guitar Hero Competition 5.30pm - 6.15pm: Alex Skolnick Trio 6.15pm - 6.45pm: Guitar Hero Competition 6.45pm - 7.30pm: Gilby Clarke 7.30pm - 8.00pm: Guitar Hero Competition 8.00pm - 9.00pm: (Act TBC) 9.00pm - 9.30pm: Guitar Hero Competition 9.30pm - 11.30pm: Uli John Roth Saturday 19th July 5.30pm - 6.00pm: National Acts (TBC) 6.00pm - 6.30pm: Guitar Hero Competition 6.30pm - 7.15pm: Tim Donahue 7.15pm - 7.45pm: Guitar Hero Competition 7.45pm - 8.30pm: Glenn Hughes 8.30pm - 9.00pm: Guitar Hero Competition 9.00pm - 11.30pm: Joe Satriani

G-TARanaki Festival - The Midnight Sessions Presented by Venture Taranaki
Late night, unique acoustic sessions from international guitarists, like Glenn Hughes. More names to be announced soon!

A bit disappointing because there still isn't a NZ date... But there is hope as gigs are being scheduled before the Ozzie dates, which were orignally the opening shows. So let's keep our fingers crossed & do all we can to BRING IRON MAIDEN TO NEW ZEALAND!!

February
Fri 1st - Mumbai, India - Bandra Kurla Complex
Mon 4th - Perth, Australia - Burswood Dome
Wed 6th - Melbourne, Australia - Rod Laver Arena
Thu 7th - Melbourne, Australia - Rod Laver Arena
Sat 9th - Sydney, Australia - Acer Arena
Sun 10th - Sydney, Australia - Acer Arena
Tue 12th - Brisbane, Australia - Entertainment Centre
Fri 15th - Yokohama, Japan - Pacifico Yokohama
Sat 16th - Tokyo, Japan - Messe
Tue 19th - Los Angeles, USA -The Forum
Thu 21st - Guadalajara, Mexico - Auditoria Telmex
Fri 22nd - Monterrey, Mexico - Arena Monterrey
Sun 24th - Mexico City, Mexico - Sports Palace
Tue 26th - San Jose, Costa Rica - Saprisa Stadium
Thu 28th - Bogota, Columbia - Simon Bolivar Park 

Wednesday 3 October was the day the anti-Christ aka Marilyn Manson came to Auckland for a gig in the Town Hall. As the Town Hall is a nice small venue it was a gig I was really looking forward to. I’m not a huge Manson fan (like the songs and saw them live in the Heineken Music Hall in Amsterdam once) but seeing them play for around 1500 people is an interesting experience.

First impression of the venue is very positive… It reminded me of Paradiso in Amsterdam, same look and feel and same vibe. Missed the opening band (Die Die Die) though as it took a while for 1500 people to go through one small door to enter the venue (and I hate queuing so I waited a while).

As soon as the intermission music switched to The Prodigy’s ‘Smack my bitch up’ and the volume was turned you instantly knew it was almost Manson time. Just a few more minutes…. And there was the band. As I said I’m not a huge Manson fan (only know the old stuff) so have no idea what the opening song was. :-)

And then the party began… Very excited crowd. Within a few minutes I had a perfect spot in the mosh pit. Unfortunately the tiny Kiwi girls aren’t used to real rock gigs yet so every once in a while they gave a dirty look because I was standing/dancing in their spot. HAHAHA.

It was hot, everyone was sweaty so it was a great party… Unfortunately the show was stopped after just 5 songs and we were told to leave the venue. What the F???? A fire alarm? Again? Also happened during my previous gig (Dio with Black Sabbath). What’s going on here in Auckland. It was a weird situation… Everyone was confused (including the venue staff) and as soon as part of the crowd was outside the doors were closed. Within 2 minutes they opened again and we could enter again. So the battle for position began again. :-)

This time I was all the way in the front… Only lasted there for a few songs as everyone was pushing and there was no room to move. A few rows back in the mosh pit is so much more fun. It definitely was a great night. They played songs like…

• ‘Beautiful People’
• ' Rock is Dead’
• ‘The Dope Show’

"IRON MAIDEN announce their most ambitious and extraordinary touring plans ever -- and are very pleased to announce that this will include Australia for the first time in 15 years!

The 'SOMEWHERE BACK IN TIME' World Tour 2008 will be in three sections, starting in February and March 2008 with the first leg encompassing major concerts in 20 selected cities on five continents in seven weeks including India, Japan, North America, Central and South America, and, of course, Australia, opening in Perth on Feb 4 and continuing through Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane."

Great news for the Ozzies.... But not for the Kiwis. At this moment there is still no date set for a gig in New Zealand. Please sign the petition and help us bringing Iron Maiden to NZ. And don't forget, it worked for The Cure so why shouldn't it work for Maiden. Thanks.

Update 1 October 2007: Already 6 gigs in Australia....

Date			City, ST		Venue
Mon	02/04/08		Perth, AUS		Burswood Dome
Wed	02/06/08		Melbourne, AUS		Rod Laver Arena
Thu	02/07/08		Melbourne, AUS		Rod Laver Arena
Sat	02/09/08		Sydney, AUS		Acer Arena
Sun	02/10/08		Sydney, AUS		Acer Arena
Tue	02/12/08		Brisbane, AUS		Brisbane Entertainment Centre

After seeing the latest David Lynch movie - Inland Empire - at the Auckland Film Festival I have to admit that the previous one, Mulholland Drive, is so easy to understand. That was a piece of cake.... Weird doesn't even describe IE. Beyond weird is a better expression for this typical Lynch movie.

A surrealistic movie, 3 hours long... Sounded perfect to me. And it is. The beginning of the movie is quite clear. Reality and the making of the cursed movie 'On High and Blue Tomorrows' are fairly easy to distinguish. But then it all changes. As David Lynch fan you know to pay attention to details and to keep up but after a while it is so f%&%^-ing hard to make sense out of it. Every time you think "Ah now I got it: this is film, this is reality, this is dream... etc etc" and then it takes a completely different turn.

After that all you can do is try to absorb as much info as possible so you can check it all the day after on the internet. And that's exactly what I need to do now. Just read a few pointers and try to make sense out of it. Oh and I need to buy the DVD to watch it over and over again. I definitely did enjoy this one... Why should a movie always explain what happens and have a clear and happy end? Lynch makes us talk about it and think for ourselves... So make sure you see this with at least one other person so you have someone to discuss it with.

Btw the end was great.... The screen fades to black and you expect the credits to roll and then the movie continues. So many people were sighing and thinking 'f*ck not another hour'... HAHAHA. Then the credit rolled a few minutes and it was really over.

Some pointers and spoilers....

• Official Inland Empire website
• Inland Empire in Wikipedia
• Discussion about the movie on Alternate Takes
  

Just crawling out of the movie theatre and pub (you need a drink after a movie like this) and just have to write this right away.... The movie Control is f^#*&-ing GOOD... AWESOME.... IMPRESSIVE... A MUST SEE.

Of course the story itself is very tragic... About Ian Curtis, the singer of Joy Division who killed himself at the age of 23. ... But the way the film is shot is amazing. Totally in black/white or sepia. Each scene is like a photo coming to life. It so fits the story. Amazing.

When you choose your seat with consideration (like five rows from the front and smack down in the middle) you feel like being in the story, especially during the concert scenes. You are in the audience rocking on the sound of Joy Division (soundtrack is played by the remaining members as New Order). The songs you definitely know (although many younger people may not remember the tittles) are perfectly woven into the story. 'She's lost control' and of course the all-time classic 'Love will tear us apart' to name a few.

I won't tell more... Just go see this one. It's the first time ever that I applauded at the end of a movie. You've just witnessed a gig, an event. Awesome.

It is a bit depressing though and you know how it will end.... After a while you're actually thinking, dude go kill yourself now because your life so far makes me wanna slit my wrists.

A MUST SEE.... DON'T MISS IT!

The kick-off of the International Film Festival in Auckland.... Well to me that is. This is the first film on my long list of 'wanna sees' in this year's edition of the festival. And this is two for the price of one. :-)

The Comics Show
"The Comics Show surveys the history of local comics (including Eric Resetar, the 1950s anti-comic panic, and the arrival of Strips) then focuses on a number of contemporary artists (including Barry Linton, Karl Wills, Chris Knox, Jared Lane, Robyn Kenealy, Coco and Pritika, Jason Brice, Tim Bollinger, Grace Campbell, and Cornelius Stone, among others). It visits comic shops (such as Cherry Bomb and Gotham), websites, events (such as Armageddon, Craftwerk and the Eric Awards), and groups (such as Funtime in Christchurch). It looks at comics’ links with animation (such as Ant Sang and bro’Town) and with music (from Flying Nun to hip hop). It also takes a trip with Dylan Horrocks to the comic shops of Paris, confirming that comics from New Zealand have a growing reputation in the land of la bande dessinée."

This one was a very interesting and entertaining documentary. It gives a perfect outline of what has happened and is happening in the comics scene in NZ. Not that I'm a huge comics fan but I do love this art form so it's always good to learn more about the local scene. And because NZ is so f*ing far away from countries where comics always have been extremely popular (USA, Belgium, France) this form of art is quite different from what one might be used to... Less action heroes. :-)

Questions for Mr Reynolds
"Questions for Mr Reynolds presents a profile of one of the most important New Zealanders in the arts today - John Reynolds, the painter, photographer and landscape artist who represented our country at the last Sydney Biennale and was recently made a Laureate by the Arts Foundation. John has a likeable, articulate, exuberant personality, a strong sense of humour, and an original approach to the many areas of the arts that he's tackled. With total access behind the scenes, this documentary shows us how John conceives and develops his adventurous projects, and how he manages to combine all this with a busy family life."

An unknown name to me as new Kiwi... :-) .... But very interesting to see his work. He has done so many different things that it's hard to keep track. And that's why this documentary is perfect, it gives you a good idea of this fun and weird person. Interesting dude. Definitely worth checking out, both the film and the artist.

Wow that is the best way to start a new week (after a long road trip).... Control (the new Anton Corbijn film) will be shown at the International Film Festival in Auckland. Dates will be 19 and 20 July 2007. I definitely have to go. Awesome. Forgot what it's all about????

"Fresh from a triumphant Directors' Fortnight screening at Cannes, Anton Corbijn's highly anticipated homage to Joy Division singer Ian Curtis- the flawed British rock star who recoiled in the glare of fame - is a rare example of a biopic that lives up to its hype. Control leads us from Curtis' (Sam Riley) schooldays in Macclesfield in 1973, where the shy Bowie fan daydreamed in class and married his best friend's girl Deborah (Samantha Morton), up to his suicide, at the age of 23, on the eve of his band's first American tour. Based on the memoirs of Deborah Curtis, as well as the testimonials of friends, the film focuses equally on Joy Division's mounting success and the chaos of his personal life. In archetypal rock star fashion, Curtis was a man with problems - including adult-onset epilepsy - who knew how to make things worse. Gaining a lover, Belgian beauty Annik Honoré (Alexandra Maria Lara), he continued to live an unhappy life at home with his wife and baby daughter, unable to commit himself fully to any facet of his life, even music. Newcomer Riley is stunning, not to mention uncanny, in the lead role of Curtis, embodying every aspect of his mercurial, tortured psyche, from gentle poet to selfish, ambitious rock star. As his long-suffering wife, Morton's performance is equally astonishing and sympathetic. The film's monochrome photography, especially in scenes of the band playing live, is divine yet sparse, mirroring the iconic photos Corbijn took of the band in 1979 when he was a photographer for NME. Perhaps because he was there at the time, an air of respect and intelligence shines from every frame of this fitting eulogy to one of rock's lost souls."

Wow, this is an amazing day.... A few days after publishing my NZ gig wish list, the first one is already heading to this part of the world....