We continue the occasional series wherein Winston expounds on things that currently make him happy... and this week it's all gigs.

Little gigs, big gigs, all sorts of gigs. Gigs in Tauranga, gigs at Mount Maunganui, gigs in Auckland. Perhaps you'll find something you like. Or perhaps you'll just realise what a silly word 'gigs” is if you use it too often...

94) Big Gigs – the Boss is back! Being in the crowd waiting for the start of a Bruce Springsteen concert is a disorienting experience. A noise emanates from the stands and it's the sound of thousands of people all shouting 'Bruuuuuuuce”. The problem is that when that many people shout 'Bruuuuuuce” it sounds for all the world like 'Booooooooo”. First time you hear it, it's a bit alarming.
Danny and the Big Man may be no longer with him (or us) but with Bruce hauling a big band – around a dozen by all reports – with him, this should be one for the ages. It isn't just an accident that since the mid-seventies people have been calling him the best live act on the planet. Tickets for the only Auckland show go on sale on Monday 26 from Ticketmaster though the actual concert isn't until March 1 2014.

95) Farewell Gigs – Brilleaux are off! Mark it on your calendars now – Brilleaux are doing a final fundraiser before heading off on their UK tour. It's happening at the Mauao Performing Arts Centre (opposite the Fire Station in Mount Maunganui) on Sunday September 21. The band fly off for their series of English dates at the beginning of October and are now fully kitted up with new UK tour T-shirts, coffee mugs, enamel badges, Brilleaux guitar picks and much more. Grab some of this possibly collectible merchandise and the poor guys might even be able to afford some greasy fish ‘n' chips while they're on tour.
Also performing will be Grant Haua and the very impressive duo of Aaron Saxon and Alice Acila. Tickets are already available ($15) from Music Planet, Tauranga Musicworks, MauaoPAC and Driver Bar.

96) Posh Gigs – the Arts Festival is unveiled! Last week saw the launch of the programme for the Tauranga Arts Festival, running from October 24 to November 3. And there's a lot of music of many different strips in there. Top on my list (being on a bit of a French kick at the moment) is 'The Words and Music of Jacques Brel” which features songs from the French legend performed by Jon Toogood, Julia Deans, Jennifer Ward-Lealand and Tama Waipara.
The festival also sees the return of the fabulous Tattletale Saints, another show from local rock band Nine Mile Stone, more local content in the form of Carol Storey and her band Timara, who will be performing original waiata in Maori and English, daft punk from Die Roten Punkte (The Red Dots), the uncrowned and possibly fictitious comedic royalty of the Berlin underground indie rock scene, Canada's Shuffle Demons, Christchurch's The Eastern (with Lyndon Puffin) and much much more...
You can find it all at
www.taurangafestival.co.nz.

97) August Gigs – this weekend! At last, you're thinking, something useful... Here are five very different musical things happening in town this weekend:
Reggae band Cornerstone Roots are playing at Brewer's Bar in Mount Maunganui on Saturday 24. It's an R18 show and tickets are $15. They should still be available on the door.
On Sunday Too Many Chiefs are coming to the Te Puna Memorial Hall. They comprise Wayne Mason (writer of 'Nature”), Andrew London (Hot Club Sandwich), Rob Joass (Hobnail Boots) and Laura Collins (The Back Porch Blues Band). Doors open at 7pm, concert at 7.30pm. Admission is $20.
And some not-one-off events: Santi Rebagliati and Derrin Richards are playing at Mexica (once Der Bier Haus) on Saturday night, 9.00pm; soul/samba/funk/blues/jazz band U4RIA are playing at the Mount's Ivory Premium Urban Lounge from 4.00 to 7.00pm as they do every Sunday afternoon; and the Uke Club of New Zealand has it's regular last Sunday of each month club gathering at the RSA. It kicks off at 4.00pm, $10. More info at
www.ukejamm.co.nz.