Stories

The city bids farewell to Quasi the five-metre tall sculpture of artist Ronnie van Hout’s face and hand which took up residence on the roof of the Christchurch Art Gallery in 2016. Renowned for mixing surreal with the serious, van Hout’s work focuses on dramatic figures that initiate conversation and engagement – which is exactly what the giant installation has done since it graced the city and enlivened the skyline. Bringing a profound sense of humour, the thought-provoking piece has been the talk of the town drawing curious gazes and snaps of the obscure installation but it’s now heading north and setting up shop in the culture capital, Wellington. Lara Strongman, Head Curator of the Christchurch Art Gallery says that “like all his work, it’s essentially enigmatic – you make your own reading of the work, and have your own emotional response to its presence there on the skyline. We’ve loved...

You can’t help but smile when you hear that anthem of an earlier summer – Avalance City’s 'Love, Love, Love'. Few Kiwi musicians have managed to roar up the charts and our lives like Dave Baxter’s ear worm, so Cityscape was rapt to catch up with the hit maker ahead of his tour for his third album, My Babylon. It’s been a long time between albums… The first one I wrote over about four and a half years, and it’s been about three years between albums this time so they’re getting quicker! I sort of needed to take a break after the court case and my wife got pregnant so I thought I’d better get it together and write another album. I wrote for other people for about a year, and then we had a two month holiday and I didn’t think about music at all. So when I got back into the...

It’s been ten years since the lads from Clap Clap Riot left the Garden City for the bright lights and big noise of Auckland, taking the NZ music scene by storm on the way. Cityscape caught up with the boys ahead of their anniversary tour. Congrats on reaching a decade of firing out top-notch tunes! How would you say the music scene has changed since you first started out? A lot has changed in ten years, especially the way bands release, promote and earn an income from material. Our recording process is one thing that has stayed the same. You guys originally started out with the band name ‘Band Theft Auto’, what prompted you to drop that and take on ‘Clap Clap Riot’? Working with The D4’s Jimmy Christmas on our first EP, the style of our new music didn't particularly suit the name. We were also in the process of...

Getting set to embark on their first ‘proper’ tour, the Wellington lads that make up Anxiety Club are ready to lay it all out for Christchurch audiences. Following the release of their first studio EP, Black Heart, last year and a new single early February that is set to become a New Zealand summer staple, Anxiety Club are bringing their alt-indie-Americana sound to the Garden City. Cityscape caught up with lead singer Kev Fitzsimons. How did you guys get together? I’d been doing a lot of vocal work for various projects when I was living in the UK and Ireland and when I got home I put an ad in the Musicians social page and a group of guys responded and we got together. Weirdly enough, we all just hit it off, which is really unusual for a first off. But we all had that same idea of making good music and...

The country’s fixation with musical nostalgia continues next month with the arrival of Canadian rocker Bryan Adams. The Summer of ’69 and Everything I do (I do for you), will bang out the sounds in Hagley Park on St Patrick’s Day alongside Kiwi classics Jordan Luck and Dave Dobyn. Cityscape caught up with Adams and found out which other Kiwi he’s keen to play with. You’re heading back to NZ within a year of your last tour where you played some pretty cool venues. Do you have a favourite city/place to perform? Any performances that stand out? We had the extremely good fortune to be taken up the coast of New Zealand in a helicopter to Matakana. The gig was great, the country was breathtaking. It’s no wonder all the billionaires want to buy land there. It’s no wonder the NZ government won’t let them! Your foundation does incredible work for...

If you're still pumping from the weekend's Nostalgia Festival and you've got some time on your hands, head North! Nostalgia has been collaborating with fellow funky festival, Coastella, to ensure the future for these independent, unique and innovative music events is solid. What started with a conversation between Nostalgia festival founder, Johnny Gibson, and Coastella Festival founders, Paul Brown and Gerry Paul, blossomed into a thriving mentorship grounded in the mutual passion they all have for creative collaboration, event sustainability and uniting communities. Catch Coastella Festival on the Kapiti Coast when it drops on February 23. Coastella Festival,Southward's Car Museum, Kapiti Coast,coastella.co.nz

It’s Fri-yay! Which means it’s time to lock in plans for the weekend, and what a feast of things to get out and see and do… Cityscape’s top picks for this weekend: 1. Nostalgia Festival, Saturday Feb 16, FerrymeadFeaturing Trinity Roots, Soaked Oats, Mama Kin Spender and so many awesome musos, coupled with fab food and oodles of refreshments in the beautiful Ferrymead Historic Park. Head down to Blue Smoke afterwards for more fun from Soaked Oats – free entry for festivalgoers! 2. Sparks, Saturday Feb 16, Hagley Park, 7.30pmA Christchurch tradition. Pack up the kids, the picnic hamper and the cushions and be blown away by the spectacular Christchurch Symphony Orchestra’s programme of traditional classics to modern favourites. Rounded off, of course, by a sensational fireworks display around 10pm. 3. Night Noodle Market, until Sunday Feb 17, Hagley ParkIf you can’t be bothered with a picnic for Sparks, cure the...

Cityscape chats with Welsh songstress Cate Le Bon ahead of her performance at Blue Smoke on February 21. Your February show will be the first time you’re performing in Christchurch, what can the audience expect? It's something a bit different from how I usually tour. It will be myself and a piano with some background tinkerings from my buddy and band mate, JT. Songs old and new, maybe a cover here and there. We recently did a small run in the UK and it was an intimate and warm affair. How did you establish your unique style of music? The Gorky's and SFA taught a generation, in Wales especially, how to ignore scenes and do what your heart desires. Where has been your favourite place to perform? There is an old pornographic cinema in St Gallen, Switzerland which makes for a spectacular and eerie show. It feels like nowhere else in the world exists other...

Grammy Award-winner Bryan Adams – the talent behind your fave go-to guilty pleasure tune ‘Summer of ’69’ – has set his sights on the city and will bring the noise when he takes over Hagley Park on March 16. No stranger to the music scene, Adams has racked up a fair amount of accolades in his illustrious career and his string of hits has cemented him as one of the most highly acclaimed singer/songwriters. We caught up with the Canadian rocker ahead of his performance and chatted about his collabs with Jennifer Lopez and Ed Sheeran; crafting Broadway musical Pretty Woman and who he’d love to join forces with in his next album (hint: she’s Kiwi music royal-ty). Keep your eyes peeled for when the full convo drops in the autumn issue of Cityscape. Bryan Adams: Shine A Light TourHagley Park, March 17bryanadams.com

The ‘King of Romance’, Engelbert Humperdinck, has been making records – and smashing world records – for more than fifty years. He’s bringing his biggest and best hits to New Zealand next month, along with a slew of new songs from his The Man I Want To Be album. Cityscape caught up with the legendary crooner ahead of his pacific tour. You’re still recording new albums after 50 years in the business. Does it feel that long? It doesn’t feel that long. I’ve done 81 albums altogether, including compilations. I’ve recorded 53-54 brand new. When I first started in the business and my career took off like a speedboat, it was wonderful to have people want my music. In those days we’d do two albums a year. Do you still get a kick out of singing your hits? Does it get old? I do, I love it. I’m still touring the world,...

Indie-folk muso Dave Baxter – the talent behind wildly popular Kiwi band Avalanche City – is making tracks for Blue Smoke (March 14), to launch his new album MY BABYLON. Having dominated the New Zealand music charts with top tunes ‘Insight Out’ and ‘Love Love Love’ – the latter scooping up a Silver Scroll Award at the APRA Silver Scroll Awards – you can bet his new release will have some catchy tunes which are sure to soar on major music streaming giants.  Avalanche City, March 14Blue Smokeavalanchecity.com Image: Claire Mossong

The little brother to Broad-ly Speaking, the event that has taken the country by storm, Hard-ly Speaking is an opportunity for every kind of man to gather together, share their own personal experiences and flip the traditional ideas of masculinity. Details for this event are still under wraps, but keep an eye on the website broadlyspeaking.nz for future announcements.

This International Women’s Day (Mar 8), head along to Broad-ly Speaking and feel inspired as six women share their stories. Since launching on International Women’s Day in 2015, more than 3,000 women have come together to listen to a diverse group of women share their stories at this awesome event. This year’s lineup of speakers includes; Dr Samantha Bailey – doctor and founder of SwiftMed; Sinead Morgan – owner of Morrison Horgan; Fiona Farrell – award-winning New Zealand author; and Ava Wilson – owner of Little Poms and Beer Baroness; plus two more ladies yet-to-be announced. After a successful launch in Auckland last year, Broad-ly goes nationwide this year with events planned in Auckland, Wellington and Queenstown.  Tickets for this inspiring event are flying out the door with less than 100 left. Get in to feel empowered and enjoy an energising shot of sisterhood.  iticket.co.nz

Get amongst the enchanting acoustic instrumentation and vocal harmonies of Ireland natives The Young Folk, described as “one of the most promising young bands to come out of Ireland in several decades” when they touch down at the Blue Smoke on Valentine’s Day (Feb 14). After their successful 2018 New Zealand tour, The Young Folk have earned themselves a stellar rep around music circles and have even been compared with top indie artists Fleet Foxes, Bon Iver and Crosby Stills & Nash. Joining them on the Christchurch leg of their tour are Your Indigo a local trio whose fresh and captivating alt-folk tunes are making waves around the stages of Aotearoa. The cool cats at Blue Smoke will be offering up fine hospitality and even finer music with casual seated tables and bar leaners available so you can get amongst the captivating tunes of these two bands. Tickets are up for...

Multi award-winning comedian Urzila Carlson will bring her acerbic wit, hilarious antics and comedy gold to various venues around the country as part of her newest comedic venture, Token African. Performing in Auckland (May 3, 4 and 25) and Wellington (May 7 – 11) as part of the annual New Zealand International Comedy Festival, Carlson will continue to wreak havoc through the month of July when she stops by in Hamilton (Jul 6); Whangarei (Jul 13); Napier (Jul 18); Palmerston North (Jul 19); New Plymouth (Jul 20) and Christchurch (Jul 26). Recipient of several prominent accolades including Best Female Comedian at the NZ Comedy Guild Awards – six times may we add – and taking out TV3 People’s Choice Award, you’d be foolish for not getting yourself to see this cheeky comedian in her prime. Hit up livenation.co.nz to score yourself some tickets.

They’ve been on the music scene for 10 years and to celebrate a decade of churning out top-notch indie tunes, New Zealand natives Clap Clap Riot are hitting the road and will be calling into Dunedin (Mar 15), Auckland (Mar 23), Wellington (Mar 22) and the place where it all kicked off – hometown Christchurch (Mar 16). Cementing themselves on the Kiwi music scene, the dynamic five-piece have churned out one EP, three full-length albums, collated a string of NZ music award nominations and toured extensively with local and international musos. As part of the tour, fans will be taken on a musical journey through their vast repertoire of songs over the years, plus get the chance to hear new material from their forthcoming release which is currently in the works.Snap up tickets quick to this gig, you don’t want a serious case of FOMO. undertheradar.co.nz

On the hunt for some tasty eats to curb your lunchtime cravings? Tap our top 5 picks of eateries that offer up delicious lunch specials. Coriander’s Ethnic Indian Restaurant (pictured above) You can’t beat a curry – especially from Coriander’s Ethnic Indian Restaurant. Head on down to any of their four locations (St Asaph Street, Bush Inn, Rolleston or Hanmer Springs), and tuck into an authentic Indian dish – Butter Chicken anyone? St Asaph Street, 03 365 5557Rolleston, 03 347 2315Hanmer, 03 315 7616Bush Inn, 03 420 0019corianders.co.nz Tomi Japanese Restaurant In the mood for Japanese cuisine? Tomi Japanese Restaurant in St Albans has an array of dishes ranging from $12 - $26. Dabble in their Teriyaki Chicken Don, tuck in to their special ‘Set’ which comes with miso soup, a small side and rice or go all out with their Bento Lunch Box. 76 Edgeware Road, 03 377 8028 tomi.co.nz KUMO...

Needing no introduction given he’s been named Billboard’s most successful performing male solo artist of all time, Sir Elton John will bring the noise when he touches down in New Zealand – 48 years after he was first in Aotearoa – for three performances as part of his epic Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour in 2020. Described as “the most elaborate, high-tech show Elton has ever attempted” expect only the best when he takes to the stage with hits from his famed songbook sure to be on the cards. Catch him in 2020 at Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin (Feb 4); Mission Estate, Napier (Feb 6 and 8) and at Mt Smart Stadium, Auckland (Feb 9). Mission Concert Club members can nab pre-sale tickets Tuesday 12 February – get in quick, this is going to be an unforgettable performance!missionconcert.co.nz Image: Ben Gibson