11:24am Fri 13 Feb, 2026
I was getting ready to write this week's column when I came across the following quote… 'I think the music situation today has reached the point where... Read More
08:24am Thu 05 Feb, 2026
Perhaps it's because I was there last week, but I've been thinking about The Jam Factory. And perhaps it was because the sun was shining and there were smiling... Read More
11:43am Fri 30 Jan, 2026
Things are piling up on the ‘To Do' list, much as always happens at the end of January. That's the downside to New Zealander's perennial habit of basically... Read More
09:40am Fri 23 Jan, 2026
As has become clear to us all, there is simply too much music. Statistics show a gazillion new songs are released every day. And I could keep up with that. Just... Read More
06:00am Fri 16 Jan, 2026
Last week we looked at 2025 music from the Bay of Plenty. Let's cast the net wider... It was easy last week - aside from Te Puke punks Punktuation who have... Read More
08:49am Sat 10 Jan, 2026
We're back! So, this week, a glance in the rear-view mirror at music that emerged from the Bay in 2025. First, however, I'd like to mention three... Read More
06:00am Fri 19 Dec, 2025
It's the last column of the year, so it must be time for awards: the Golden Turtles are back! It has, from many perspectives, been a pretty rotten year. 'Things... Read More
09:02am Fri 12 Dec, 2025
December is rapidly running out of weeks and I'm running out of columns. Two more in fact, then we pull the shutters at The Weekend Sun until January 9 and... Read More
06:00am Fri 05 Dec, 2025
Sometimes a band has been around so long they almost seem part of the social fabric of a place. Here in the Western Bay of Plenty we have The Greenroom. They're... Read More
06:00am Fri 28 Nov, 2025
How quickly Halloween turns to Christmas; in the blink of an eye pumpkins are replaced by tinsel, reindeer and ho-ho-hoing. Just as the Watusi Country Club's... Read More
02:17pm Mon 24 Nov, 2025
I'm a big fan of ‘tribute albums'. The only thing I dislike is the name, tribute album. Most such albums feature multiple people playing the songs of... Read More
02:07pm Fri 14 Nov, 2025
There's so much music to follow at the moment, but I wanted to start by plugging one of my favourite non-musical events. The Bay of Plenty Open Studios Art Trail... Read More