A Special Night In with MEL PARSONS

Fri 31st July & Sat 1st Aug

Kicking off a new era of touring, Mel Parsons brings us an intimate evening of mid-winter entertainment at Cassels Blue Smoke in Ōtautahi / Christchurch.

Needing little introduction, the 2020 VNZMA Best Folk Artist will be playing songs from her critically acclaimed back catalogue in a two-night run of special seated shows. Along with the old faves, be the first to hear the seeds of songs for Parsons' yet-to-be recorded new album, and revel in a sitting down listening experience that we’ve all been missing these past few months.

Parsons says "I love seated shows - everything about them. No craning your neck to see or getting a sore back three songs in. I'm a huge fan of sit down shows, it helps me listen. I love to perform for seated audiences too - I always want my audience to be comfortable, and seated shows have the added bonus of somehow being that little bit more silly and fun.”

In addition to your show seat, there is limited table seating available for pre-show dinner in the Cassel’s Blue Smoke Back Bar & Diner. The show will be in two halves with an intermission, run times as follows:

 6:30pm Pre-show dinner service (bookings essential)

8pm Show start

** Tickets go on sale at eventfinda.co.nz 9am Friday 3rd July **

Dinner bookings are essential & separate from show tickets:

Friday dinner booking - https://www.trybooking.co.nz/ELN

Saturday dinner booking - https://www.trybooking.co.nz/ELO

Dave Dobbyn to Play at The Cauldron

Eccles Entertainment and Mediaworks bring you original kiwi hitmaker Dave Dobbyn playing this September at Auckland’s The Cauldron at Spark Arena!

Dave Dobbyn and full band, with the addition of a horn section, will take the stage to play through a selection of home-grown anthems and rarities.

Over the last 40 years Dave has written some of NZ’s best known songs – ‘Beside You’, ‘Be Mine Tonight’, ‘Language’, ‘Outlook For Thursday’, ‘Loyal’, ‘Whaling’, ‘Kingdom Come’, ‘It Dawned On Me’, ‘Guilty’, ‘Devil You Know’, ‘Slice Of Heaven’, ‘Magic, what she do’, ‘Oughta Be In Love’, ‘Welcome Home’ and many more from Th’ Dudes, DD Smash and his prolific solo career.

With a career that spans decades and appeals to all ages, Dave Dobbyn is consistently carving a new path and crossing boundaries with his personalized approach to making music for the people.

The Cauldron mode at Spark Arena offers something for everyone, with a party floor and intimate seated theatre experience. The GA standing floor gives access to three sides of the stage, offering a unique ‘side of stage’ experience for those who arrive early, and guests on the floor will have direct access to bars located inside the arena itself. For those who wish to sit, all seats in the bowl have a perfect vantage point of the stage. Tickets start at $49.90 (+ booking fees) for the GA Floor, $59.90 (+ booking fees) for B Reserve seating and $69.90 (+ booking fees) for A Reserve seating.

Milly Tabak and her extraordinary band The Miltones (Liam Pratt, Chip Matthews, Guy Harrison and Tom Broome) will be joined for this special show at The Cauldron by powerhouse singers Sandy Mill and Michael Murray!

Since forming in 2014, Milly and her 4-piece band The Miltones have been turning heads with their live performances including a stand-out set at WOMAD. The support slot comes just after release of second album ‘Honest Woman’.   Their debut album picked up the Taite Music Prize for Best Independent Album.

DAVE DOBBYN BAND LINE UP:
Dave Dobbyn – vocals, guitar
Jo Barus – bass, bv’s
Ross Burge – drums
Victoria Girling-Butcher – guitar, bv’s
Mark Vanilau – keys, guitar, bv’s
Nick Atkinson and Finn Scholes – horns

DAVE DOBBYN WITH FULL BAND
Support from Milly Tabak and The Miltones
SATURDAY 12th SEPTEMBER – The Cauldron at Spark Arena

Tickets on sale 12.00pm NZST Thursday 9th July from www.ticketmaster.co.nz

Ticketmaster members pre-sale from 12.00pm NZST Tuesday 7th July for 24 hours.

Iveta & Simone to Release New Single, “I’m Only Focused On You’”

New Zealand vocal duo Iveta & Simone are excited to announce the official release of their latest single, entitled “I’m Only Focused On You”.

Iveta & Simone were individual artists and songwriters before joining forces to create their powerful duo, which has released a steady string of highly acclaimed hits since launch. Some of their most well known tracks include “Sunshine”, “Psycho Baby”, “L.O.V.E.”, and “More Than A Man”, and they continue to carve out their own niche with new singles.

Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, in a time when quarantines and shutdowns have forced Iveta & Simone to pause live shows at venues across New Zealand, the vocalist duo has kept their fans engaged in a number of ways. For instance, Iveta & Simone have held an online concert, released another new single (“She Used To Be Me”), held a t-shirt giveaway, performed at private functions, taken part in interviews, and invited fans to join a 30-day Affirmation Challenge.

Now, Iveta & Simone have released another song, “I’m Only Focused On You”. This new love-themed track has a grungy and pop undertone with lyrics that capture the attention of listeners right away. While they aren’t touring right now, Iveta & Simone have released “I’m Only Focused On You” on major streaming platforms, as well as on their website, for fans and music-lovers to enjoy.

Even during COVID-19, Iveta & Simone fans are getting a taste of their wonderful musical abilities. “Psycho Baby” and “She Used To Be Me” have gotten more than 2.3 million views on Facebook per song and thousands of Spotify streams.

Iveta & Simone are staying connected with fans through social media and regular blog posts. More details are available now at https://www.ivetasimonemusic.com.

FREDDY REYNOLD 'APPROPRIATE'

The Dalai Lama’s producer Abraham Kunin collaborates with New Zealand emcee Freddy Reynold, on his latest single Appropriate. The single forms part of Reynold’s mixtape ‘Pre Party Vol 1’ out 7 August.

Alongside the major release of The Dalai Lama’s - Inner World with Hitco Entertainment, Abraham and Junelle Kunin of Khandro Music, are preparing the release of a body of work by another of their artists, Freddy Reynold. 

Reynold from New Zealand will drop his second single of 2020, ‘Appropriate’. This follows his debut collaboration with Abraham Kunin on Blessed which came out in February. 

‘Appropriate’ heralds the arrival of a mixtape titled ‘Pre Party Vol 1’ coming out 7 August, which features further production from Kunin.

Listen to Appropriate here

Set to a buoyant, Pop/EDM adjacent beat from Abraham Kunin (The Dalai Lama, Home Brew, Teeks, Rush Wepiha) ‘Appropriate’ showcases Reynold’s range and attention to detail as an artist. The wide bounce of the instrumental provides a perfect canvas for Reynold to balance focused lyricism with a knack for memorable hooks.

‘Appropriate’ is full of ‘blink and you’ll miss it’ moments, in an arrangement Reynold has fine-tuned with patience and precision to be instantly gratifying, but further reward repeat listens.

‘Pre Party Vol 1’ will be available 7 August 2020

THE SIXTEENTH ARE PROUD TO PRESENT THEIR NEW SINGLE AND VIDEO ‘OXYGEN’

Wellington-based pop soundscape The Sixteenth are today releasing their debut video and second single Oxygen from their upcoming The 16th EP .

The Sixteenth create vast post-apocalyptic sounds from the mind of Richard Walley (progamming/keys/production) with core collaborator Miriam Alice (vocals) and are known for their vast soundscapes, crafted textural instrumentation and stunning melodies.

The group was formed in the mid 2010’s to perform a set of Walley’s compositions. A live line up toured and they realised there were deep pockets of inspiration in the collaboration. The incisive expertise of Ali Isdale (bass & audio engineer), and Louis Thompson-Munn (keys) fed the hungry machine and with Walley’s extensive library of rare records underarm, the collective embarked on a unique sonic journey hoping to capture their experience and add some new vinyl to the library.

The new video filmed by Bradley Garner on the North Island’s Desert Road features impressive footage showcasing beautiful landscapes and aerial footage, effectively conveying the post-apocalyptic feel of the single and narrative that follows Richard and Miriam as they traverse the landscapes.

With an intricate recording process and material spanning a decade of preparation, this collective boasts eight of Wellington’s finest musicians. After many years performing live around Wellington they are finally ready to release their first self-titled EP, due for release on August 7.

'LIVE VIBES'

‘Live Vibes’ is a Creative New Zealand funded initiative which aims to stimulate the NZ music scene during the time of COVID-19 bringing you some of New Zealand's most talented up and coming artists, recorded in the highest definition audio and video quality, and streamed right to the comfort of your own couch.

Broadcasting on Saturday the 25th of July from 7pm - 10pm on Freeview Channel 200 and streamed across a range of social media channels, Live Vibes seeks to empower all artists involved and deliver a polished live set for their fans.

Unique lighting design by Angus Muir Design (Splore, Illuminate), footage by JR Imaging and audio mixed and mastered by Scott Seabright Productions (Alien Weaponry, Mumford and Sons). Live Vibes is brought to you by a dream team of New Zealand creatives at the top of their game.

Footage includes the combined work of 3 moving camera-men, 3 stationary shots and a  360* angle to capture every part of each artist's masterclass live showcase.

We are currently looking for any additional Brands & Social Presences who would like to restream this event live in tandem with us during the premiere date and utilize the content to promote themselves.

THE BANDS

Strangely Arousing are a 5-piece progressive reggae/ska band, effortlessly blending other genres and styles of music to create their unique sound, laced with brass, synth, dub, and guitar. Strangely straddles the line between the bizarre you know you love and the weird you don’t know you love yet, like old pros. 

Whether you come to marinate in dubs and bass, or simply to melt into a puddle on the floor, Strangely Arousing offers a new wave of music inspired by New Zealand’s legendary hip-hop and reggae dub forefathers.

Strangely are currently working on their much-anticipated EP set for release September 2020, and bring their eclectic, electric live set to Live Vibes filled with a range of instrument wizardry and lyricism.

Otium are a 5 piece with a diverse spectrum of influences ranging from Aotearoa’s own Fat Freddy’s Drop and Sons of Zion, to soul collectives Vulfpeck and Snarky Puppy. 

In 2018 Otium released ‘You’, a two-track project comprising the thematically similar but vastly different tracks, With You and For You.

The band enjoyed a busy and successful 2019. They shook up Raglan with their Soundsplash set, celebrated the release of new single ‘Dollar For The Man’ and revived their Late Night Hype local talent showcase. Currently they are working on a new EP set for release early 2021. Otium bring their signature tight, polished and punchy live vibes to this showcase.

Hailing from Auckland’s North Shore, The Vibes gained national attention on ‘X-Factor New Zealand’ in late 2015. Electric summer festival performances were followed by an EP release which culminated in their seminal album from 2017, ‘Wrap You in the Sun’ produced by Eddie Rayner. 

With 2 new singles released in late 2019 which have accumulated nearly 40,000 streams across platforms & a new album in the works for September 2020 The Vibes bring you their signature live energy and Zeppelin like prowess in a cultivated live set.

Premiere Date:

Saturday 25th July | Freeview Channel 200 | Instagram, Facebook, Twitch & Youtube, with The Vibes, Otium, Strangely Arousing

LOOKING FOR ALASKA RELEASES THEIR NEW SINGLE, ‘FALL INTO YOU’.

‘Fall Into You’ is a sweet and sultry indie/folk/pop song, with some Angus and Julia Stone, She + Him vibes, but with unmistakable musicianship skills of Amy Maynard and Aaron Gott. 

This is the first single from the album ‘Light and Shadow’ which is due to drop late 2020. It is full of ballads, slow moods, retro reverbs and is a collection of lyrical memories and emotional observations, very true to the duo's songwriting style.

LFA’s sophomore self-titled album was released in 2016 and it was nominated for best debut album at the NZ Taite music awards in 2017 and spent 12 weeks on the NZ album charts, peaking at number 9 on the NZ charts.  The album has received over 100,000 streams on Spotify, and has seen LFA complete 2 headline tours of NZ, tour internationally in Europe and Australia, at home at the Auckland Folk Festival, Whare Flat Folk Festival, TSB Festival of Lights and Hamilton Gardens Arts Festival.

LFA have a busy year ahead, including more single releases, a headline tour of NZ, and their first tour of the USA which includes a performance at Salmonfest in Alaska, which unfortunately had to be postponed until the following year.

‘Fall Into You’ was produced and mixed by The Sitting Room’s Ben Edwards (Aldous Harding, Nadia Reid, Marlon Williams, Tami Neilson), with drums and percussion played by Indie-Folk musician Ryan Fisherman, and featuring fiddle virtuoso Pascal Roggen (NZ’s Albi & The Wolves, UK’s Shez Raja). The track was mastered by Kog Studio’s Chris Chetland (with mastering credits for Dua Lipa, Snoop Dog and Bebe Rexha).

‘Looking For Alaska’ really shine when they are performing live… they are not to be missed!

You’ll fall for Amys vivacious pitch perfectness and Aarons soft rich voice. Catch the duo jamming covers at your local spot, or closer to summer when they’ll be a beautiful pop folk addition to those Aotearoa summer days.   

HOEA - THE NEW TE REO MĀORI ALBUM FROM REI

Rei made the most of his 7 week NZ lockdown by focusing on producing what he considers his best te reo album yet, ‘Hoea’ (released today). The title ‘Hoea’ is derived from the familiar whakatauki (saying) ‘Hoea tō waka’, or ‘row your own whaka’.

The bi-lingual lead single ‘Holy Heka’ is an uptempo rap banger, a little risque, but by no means disrespectful… in fact the main message of the waiata is about the importance of female pleasure.

Following his te reo EP ‘Rangatira’ in 2019, this album demonstrates Rei’s skill and passion for innovation in Māori music. Rei loves to push boundaries and make reo music like never before.

 “Less jingle jangle tihaa. More doof doof doitz BLEH!” - Rei.

During the rāhui he also featured on the #1 lockdown track ‘Stay’’ as well as making various content for Māori TV, live streams for Hallensteins, his own ‘Tutu Tuesdays’ live songwriting sessions and even made 2 music videos. One was a comedy track called ‘Miss My Homies’ with Mikey Mayz and Tane The Forest Kid. The other was ‘Rāpeti’, a cheeky track about his super busy summer of touring… All of this from the comfort of his Waterview whare.