FLY MY PRETTIES ANNOUNCE THE CAST FOR NATIONAL SUMMER TOUR

With the new album String Theory ready to be unleashed on the world on November 11, Fly My Pretties have today confirmed the 14-strong cast for their six date January 2017 tour.

Each show will see the same performers who appear on the String Theory album take to the stage. This cast features a number of Fly My Pretties favourites along with some of the most exciting new musical talents emerging in New Zealand, combining to create a truly special live performance experience.

Frontman and musical director Barnaby Weir will be joined by his The Black Seeds bandmates Jarney Murphy and Nigel Patterson, who, along with Mike Fabulous and The Nudge members Iraia Whakamoe, James Coyle, & Ryan Prebble, form the backbone of Fly My Pretties. Bailey Wiley, Laughton Kora, Ria Hall and Tiki Taane are four artists who are performing at the peak of their powers, filling out the robust sound that Fly My Pretties are known for. The cast is rounded out by A Girl Named Mo, Ills Winter and Miloux, who are back to blow audiences away across the summer tour, having wowed the crowds during their recent Fly My Pretties’ performances.

With music as a channel to explore the fabric of the cosmos and uncover the meaning of our lives within it, the tour will bring the String Theory album to life on stage, the way it was meant to be heard. The tour will showcase the best of New Zealand summers in stunning outdoor venues, setting this tour apart from any previous Fly My Pretties shows.

Tickets for the String Theory tour are on sale now, available through Ticketek in Wellington and Ticketmaster for all other shows. Priced at $72.00, all shows are all ages with children under 12 years are welcome free of charge with a paying adult – excluding the show at Coroglen Tavern which is R18. 

The Fly My Pretties – String Theory Cast is:
Barnaby Weir
Jarney Murphy - The Black Seeds
Nigel Patterson - The Black Seeds
Mike Fabulous - Lord Echo (Craig Pearce)
Iraia Whakamoe - The Nudge
James Coyle - The Nudge
Ryan Prebble - The Nudge
Bailey Wiley (Jaz Kapow)
Laughton Kora (Jaz Kapow)
Ria Hall
Tiki Taane (Ninakaye Taane-Tinorau
A Girl Named Mo
Ills Winter
Miloux

Civic Events presents Fly My Pretties – String Theory Tour

JANUARY
  
Saturday 7, Coromandel, Coroglen Tavern (R18)
Friday 13, Upper Moutere, Neudorf Vineyards
Sunday 15, Wairpara, Waipara Hills
Saturday 21, Havelock North, Blackbarn Vineyards
Sunday 22, Wellington, Botanical Gardens
Sunday 29, Waiheke Island, Cable Bay Vineyards

www.civicevents.co.nz

MOANA MANIAPOTO INDUCTED INTO THE NEW ZEALAND MUSIC HALL OF FAME

APRA will honour the contribution Moana Maniapoto has made to music in Aotearoa when she is inducted into the New Zealand Music Hall of Fame at the 2016 APRA Silver Scroll Awards.

The New Zealand Music Hall of Fame pays tribute to songwriters, musicians and acts that have made a significant impact on life and culture through their music.

Regarded as one of our most significant voices, Moana Maniapoto (Ngāti Tūwharetoa/Tūhourangi-Ngāti Wahiao) has been at the beating heart of the nation’s music scene for four decades. 

A trailblazer and a self-confessed “political junkie” who has never shied away from pushing boundaries, she first rose to mainstream prominence in 1987 when Moana and the Moahunters released the song ‘Kua Makona’, blending the traditional with the contemporary. 

The Invercargill-born singer-songwriter went on to form Moana and the Tribe in the early 2000s, shaping a unique fusion of waiata, haka and electronic-flavoured soul.

Since then, Moana Maniapoto and her band have played at hundreds of festivals and concerts around the globe. Their performances have been met with critical acclaim, helping to establish her and her music as one of New Zealand’s greatest musical exports.

It’s a reputation only strengthened by countless accolades and awards, including in 2004, when Moana Maniapoto was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit. In 2005 she was made a Life Time Recipient of the Tohu Mahi Hou a Te Waka Toi Award acknowledging her leadership and contribution to Maori art. And in 2008, she received a Music Industry Award at the Maori Waiata Awards for her positive contribution to Maori Music.

Moana Maniapoto continues to make music and perform in every corner of the globe. Her fifth album RIMA, produced by electronica whizz Paddy Free, was a finalist at all three major music awards in 2015 and named a Top of the World Album (Songlines UK).

The singer-songwriter has never rested on her laurels and continues to push boundaries through her music and contribution to New Zealand society. She is currently planning an ambitious international recording collaboration ‘Ono’ with female musicians from Canada, Scotland, Norway and Korea. And when she’s not on stage or making new music, she’s a documentary maker, a feature writer and an in-demand speaker at events around the world.

“Her achievements, which continue today, as an award winning writer, artist, film-maker, band member and activist, are many and varied – but the unifying strand that runs through all of them is music,” says Anthony Healey, Head of NZ Operations for APRA AMCOS. “She has shown people here that music is a language to unify, educate, advocate, understand, inspire, comfort and forgive – and she has taken that message around the world, leading the way for artists everywhere, encouraging and empowering them to do the same”.

The New Zealand Music Hall of Fame was created by APRA AMCOS and Recorded Music NZ in 2007, and has so far paid tribute to Jordan Luck, Johnny Devlin, The Topp Twins, Straitjacket Fits, Hirini Melbourne & Richard Nunns, Ray Columbus & The Invaders, The Fourmyula, Shihad, Hello Sailor, Dragon, Herbs, Toy Love, Dave Dobbyn, Shona Laing, Douglas Lilburn, Supergroove, Bill Sevesi and The Exponents.

Moana will be inducted into the NZ Music Hall of Fame at the APRA Silver Scroll Awardsat Vector Arena in Auckland on Thursday, September 29.

RNZ Checkpoint host John Campbell is MC’ing this year’s ceremony, which will also be televised live thanks to a partnership between APRA AMCOS and RNZ. It will be broadcast free-to-air by RNZ on Freeview Channel 50. There will also be a live video stream of the ceremony on RNZ’s newly updated website http://www.radionz.co.nz/music

NAKITA DELIVERS ‘SECOND CHANCES’ VIDEO

From the frozen South Island of New Zealand, 17-year old Nakita (Mark de Jong) heated things up earlier this year with the release of debut track Where Are You? Garnering love from the online world before it could be heard on the New Zealand radio waves, Where Are You? was the perfect calling card for the fresh young talent, setting the platform for her follow-up single Second Chances.

Second Chances sees Nakita riffing on fares of youth and the patching up of old friendships (“I’m stuck here at the starting line/Spinning out on what to say to you”). The song’s catchy lyrics and melody are underpinned by Leroy Clampitt’s left-leaning pop production; rolling synth lines and neo-tropical beats. 

The palm-studded roadways and colourful colonial towns of the pacific island of Rarotonga serve as a backdrop for the Second Chances video. Navigating dirt tracks on a pushbike, Nakita plays the sand-swept tomboy card. 

Nakita's debut EP 'Foolish Ones' is slated for release later this year, produced by fellow New Zealander Leroy Clampitt, the wunderkind behind Justin Bieber’s recent hit Company.

RANEA WINS AT THE WAIATA MAORI MUSIC AWARDS

Singer-songwriter RANEA Aperahama (Teresa McGregor) has taken out the prestigious “Radio Airplay Song Of The Year award by a Māori Artist in Te Reo Māori” for his song “Tihei Mauri Ora” at the 2016 Waiata Māori Music Awards held in Hastings last Friday night.

Presented by Te Whakaruruhau o Ngā Reo Irirangi Māori Chairperson, Willie Jackson, the award is especially significant to RANEA as it was awarded for the Māori language song which achieved the most airplay on Māori Radio Stations throughout the country for 2016. 

An impromptu performance at the end of the evening by RANEA with Hamilton band Rootz Konekt, who played the song “What’s The Time Mr Wolf” (by Ranea’s old band Southside of Bombay), was a highlight of the awards event and received a standing ovation from the audience.

“Tihei Mauri Ora” is the title track from RANEA’s debut solo album which won “Best Māori Album” at the 2015 Vodafone NZ Music Awards. RANEA was also a finalist in the 2015 APRA Maioha award, and won four awards at the 2015 Waiata Māori Music Awards for “Best Māori Solo Artist”, “Best Māori Songwriter”, “Best Traditional Māori Album”, and “Best Māori Urban Roots/Reggae Album”.

RANEA’s album was produced by Māori Language Music Producer Maaka Phat McGregor, and funded by Te Māngai Pāho. The video for “Tihei Mauri Ora” was produced by Te Amokura Productions and funded by NZ On Air and Porirua City Council.

HENIKA 'HENIKA'

Announcing the self-titled debut EP by Henika, a NZ alternative solo artist. Recorded and produced by the legendary Andrew Buckton (Midnight Youth, Steriogram, D4) and featuring veteran drummer Mike Franklin-Browne (Pluto, Head Like A Hole), it is a polished yet fresh debut. The 6 track EP includes Henika’s previously released single ‘You bring me down’, a song that won Wildcard funding by popular vote from NZonAir in 2015.

Henika is Henrieta Tornyai, a newcomer multi-instrumentalist singer-songwriter whose music blends genres as diverse as alternative rock, folk and jazz. Somewhere between Joni Mitchell and PJ Harvey, the EP swings from darkness to light, from stripped down, to a huge wall of sound. The vulnerable openness of a track like ‘The River’ is contrasted by the Jeff Buckley-esque dissonant layered guitars of ‘Torn in Two.’ A creamy and haunting lead vocal, introspective lyrics and 3 part harmonies combine to create a dark cinematic atmosphere, not unlike a David Lynch soundtrack.

Henika was born in Slovakia but made her home in Auckland, New Zealand at the tender age of 8. Her musical background is varied, strengthened by a bachelor’s degree in jazz. She became proficient on the guitar, bass guitar and double bass while she cut her teeth in the U.S. studying with jazz legend Richard Davis (Bruce Springsteen, Sarah Vaughn). Upon returning to NZ, Henika adopted her childhood nickname and set on a path of personal artistic fulfilment through this solo project. 

The EP will be available to download Bandcamp, Itunes and will stream via Spotify and Soundcloud. A limited edition compact disc is also available on Bandcamp.

In the pipeline are a new video for the next single ‘The River’ and live s

MEL PARSONS - CANADIAN TOUR

Singer songwriter Mel Parsons heads back to North America this week kicking off a fifteen date Canadian tour through the provinces of Alberta, Manitoba & Saskatchewan. Just back from showcasing at Big Sound in Brisbane, Parsons also recently performed at Summerfolk Festival in Owen Sound, Ontario. More info: http://melparsons.com

2 ONE MAN BANDS, 13 THOUSAND MILES & 25 YEARS APART

“A one of a kind, One Man Band musical feel good story.”

Back in the 80’s a young lad watched a One Man Band busking on a northern English street. Spellbound by what he was hearing and seeing, that young lad bought the One Man Band's cassette tape for 5 quid, stuck it in his Walkman and went home with The Blues rattling around his head. Fast forward to 2016 and that music is still rattling around his head and that tape is still proudly in his music collection.

That young lad was David Thorpe, New Zealand’s (Christchurch) very own multi tasking One Man Band Li’l Chuck The One Man Skiffle Machine. His inspiration was One Man Band Rob Gray- The Little Big Band, Manchester's legendary busker and performer who has played support to everybody from Dr. Feelgood to Donovan, John Martyn to John Cooper Clarke, Wilko to Nico. He was also the only act to busk the hacienda nightclub queue, picking up the obscure Factory Records 207 number on the way (Google it!).

In the years following that fateful day, David bought a guitar and a harmonica, figured out how to sing and became a professional ‘one man band’ who performs at all manor of events, festivals and gigs around the country. 

In about 2012, David decided to do a quick Google search to see if he could find The Little Big Band and it didn’t take long before he got a possible email address.  In short he wrote... "were you the one man band guy that used to busk in Manchester? - If so, I am a one man band in New Zealand doing the same kind of stuff and was inspired by you way back in the 80’s”.  Encouragingly, he got a reply and bingo it was Rob!

Over the past couple of years, Rob and David have been in regular contact. The two officially met for the first time in 2014 when David was on a trip to the UK. At that meeting they discussed the possibility of doing a gig together one day.

Last week, that gig happened at The Bakers Vaults in the town of Stockport near Manchester, England. “It’s only taken over a quarter of a century to pull this gig off” says David. “We managed to sort most of it out online, I flew over and we played a double bill for the first time. It feels like the circle has been completed.”

“When you play live, you never know who is watching or what will happen”

SJD ANNOUNCED AS MUSIC DIRECTOR OF THE 2016 APRA SILVER SCROLL AWARDS

One of the most iconic and notable figures in New Zealand music, Sean James Donnelly (Sandy Mill), has been announced as the Music Director of the 2016 APRA Silver Scroll Awards.
 
Considered one of the most prestigious accolades in Kiwi music, the awards not only pay tribute to the country’s finest songwriters, they’re presented at a ceremony which has become renowned for its unique and special live performances. This involves bands and musicians being selected to perform one-off renditions of the finalists’ songs.
 
With seven albums, critical acclaim and countless awards to his name, Sean James Donnelly, AKA SJD, has a lengthy and esteemed track record in the New Zealand music industry. A previous finalist and performer at the APRA Silver Scrolls, the Auckland-based singer-songwriter is honoured to take on the task of Music Director at this year’s event.
 
“I’ve always enjoyed the Scrolls, first and foremost, as a celebration of songwriters. As the Music Director, I get to curate a show using a lot of my favourite musicians and singers, to try and put something together that is fun but also musically coherant.”
 
The Music Director oversees all performances and works with the selected artists to put a unique spin on their covers of the top five finalists. As well as covering the five finalists’ songs on the night, there will also be performances of the winning Maioha, SOUNZ, and Hall Of Fame tribute.
 
Donnelly isn’t giving too much away about what the night holds but explains his vision: “It’s a tasty combination of some well-known names and some really exciting artists you might not have heard of. Most everybody will be interestingly out of their comfort zones.”
 
Previous music directors have included Jon Toogood, Don McGlashan, Lukasz Buda, Godfrey de Grut & Cherie Mathieson and Karl Steven.
 
This year’s awards will be held at Vector Arena in Auckland on Thursday, September 29. RNZ Checkpoint host, John Campbell, will MC the event and for the first time in its 51-year history, it will be broadcast free-to-air by RNZ on Freeview Channel 50. The ceremony will also be streamed live on http://www.radionz.co.nz/music
 
The awards are proudly supported by Panhead Custom Ales.