Writing about Dennis Hopper last week started me thinking about mavericks, and my favourite maverick writer, who would have turned 73 earlier this month. I’m talking, as those of you who’ve read this column for a while might guess, about Dr Hunter S Thompson, rebel journalist, political commentator, the man who brought the term ‘Gonzo’ into common use and who fearlessly documented his elusive search for the American More...

I’ve been enjoying the new Steinlager ad on TV, starring Vincent Gallo. I don’t have a huge interest in advertisements, and liquor ads are no different. But I had followed and been duly appalled by a presumably well-meaning group of Kiwis - led I think by Gary McCormack - who were moaning about the choice of young Vincent for the part. Their argument, or at least “perspective” since it hardly constitutes an argument, More...

Hot Club Sandwich is coming to town, which is always good news. As I said last week, these guys are about my favourite band in the country – along with the Windy City Strugglers, Brilleaux and a few others – so let me tell you a little about them. It all started almost 20 years ago, back in 1992, when singer/guitarist Andrew London was invited to record a couple of sessions for National Radio. Back in those days it happened every More...

Now that the World Cup is reaching its conclusion – go Holland! – the days of sleep deprivation are nearly over and everyone can go out to gigs again. Which is good timing because there is a lot coming up over the next couple of weeks in various styles of folk, jazz and rock. I’ll take things in chronological order – see if there’s something you fancy. First up is a gig I mentioned last week, the annual Tauriko More...

I guess everyone has their American flags at the ready for this weekend, preparing to wave them in celebration of Independence Day. Probably not. There still seems to be a certain simmering anti-Americanism in New Zealand, which I once merrily subscribed to but now see as a bit of a shame. A shame, that is, for people to be anti-American simply because their government does illegal objectionable things around the world. It’s like More...

Many an occupation, be it fruit-picking, white water rafting or landscape gardening, is seasonal; being a musician is much the same. Summer is the busiest time for playing – that’s when most of the gigs happen, when the majority of festivals take place, when you can perform outside. Winter, on the other hand, is a quieter time on the live front, but consequently busy for the city’s recording studios.   More...

Winter really is here; there was frost on the ground again today so thick and white it looked like snow. This isn’t usually something that affects us here at the Watusi Country Club since we are late and lazy risers, more regularly preferring to see in the day at the crack of noon with a healthy brunch cocktail. But these are not regular times. The world’s sports fans – and a small percentage of New Zealanders – are More...

There’s been somewhat of a furore in the past week over the Bay’s most prominent international celebrity, the inimitable Richard O’Brien. As many who follow the news will already be aware, it has been widely reported that Richard has been denied New Zealand citizenship, which turns out to be not exactly accurate. Fortunately, it’s our humble job here at The Weekend Sun to dig below the media hype and tell you More...

It’s getting hard to ignore the number of sons of famous musicians who are ploughing their own row in the music field. I guess the obvious suspicion is that if your parent is highly-esteemed in the rock world (and you grew up in a family that had a truckload of money) then you have certain advantages. This is, of course, true. I remember leaving Neil Finn’s Roundhead Studio in Auckland a few years back after a long day’s More...

Different places in New Zealand are associated with different things: Kaikoura – crayfish, Raglan – surfing, Nelson – art, Auckland – complaining.   The same is true in a musical context; particular sites and areas are linked with particular types of music. Tauranga, as will come as no surprise to anyone in the city at Easter, is associated with jazz. Particularly if you’re a musician, when you’re More...