Paul Simon. Dare I say it, last night’s Paul Simon Vector Arena concert in Auckland was even better than Simon and Garfunkel’s show at the same venue in 2009. That concert was more rooted in glorious nostalgia, never more emblematic than when the lights silhouetted the two “old friends” and despite it being 40 years…
Paul Simon Live In Auckland Tonight – His Farewell Song To Art Garfunkel
My all-time favourite lyricist is in town tonight and I can’t wait. About 10 years ago I saw Art Garfunkel solo, in 2009 I saw Simon and Garfunkel together but tonight will be the first time I’ve ever seen a solo Paul Simon show. I say favourite lyricist because I don’t know of any other…
Newstalk ZB’s ‘The Two’ Stay #1 In Radio Ratings
On behalf of Pam Corkery and myself, we want to say a huge thank you for continuing to listen to our show and being part of something so special to both of us. The latest radio ratings came out on Friday (they come out twice a year) and Newstalk ZB’s The Two is still the…
Elvis’s Greatest Ever Song, As Featured On Newstalk ZB’s ‘The Two’.
At the end of each episode of Newstalk ZB’s top-rated The Two (Friday and Sunday evenings from 8pm) Pam Corkery and myself like to conclude with a song that means something. “Means” in the sense that it should never just be a song to wash over you and that there should be a reason for playing…
Andy Gibb With A Country / Pop Song John Denver Would’ve Been Proud Of
I wrote a post yesterday about it being 25 years this week since the death of Andy Gibb and mentioned that many music fans might be surprised to learn much of his songwriting was in the country vein. This taps into the endless frustration I have with people’s idiotic appraisal of late 70s music in…
25 Years Since Andy Gibb’s Death – A Remarkable, Lost Song
Andy Gibb. A little over a week since Barry Gibb’s triumphant Mission Estate Concert in Napier (in front of 20,000 fans, see article below about my backstage experience), the Gibb family are in the news again today, specifically Andy. If he was still alive, today would be his 55th birthday and in just five days…
Backstage With Bee Gee Barry Gibb At The Mission Estate Concert
The Two went on tour this past weekend and despite inept road-signs, several u-turns, a missing map-book and an embarrassing absence of modern phone-internet technology, we made it to Napier and back to Auckland in one piece. In the process Pam Corkery and I also had the most welcoming, humbling, human and enthralling backstage…
Barry Gibb Mythology Tour Concert Review – Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne
Barry Gibb at Rod Laver Arena, February 12. Because one Barry Gibb concert was never going to be enough, I decided to jump across to Melbourne for a whirlwind couple of nights to see the second most successful songwriter in music history* play Rod Laver Arena just 11 nights before he’ll be here in New…
My Favourite Memories Of Paul Holmes & Why He Was The Best We’ve Ever Had
This morning Sir Paul Holmes passed away, succumbing to a heart condition coupled with the prostate cancer that first reared its head to him just over a decade ago. Aged 62, he was too young. But when you are regarded as arguably the greatest broadcaster in your country’s history and few are arguing about it,…
Why Cliff Richard Is Much Cooler Than You Think
Last night I saw my very first childhood music hero in concert, the third time I’ve now seen this most unfashionable of pop stars in a live setting. When I was five years old, Cliff Richard was it. Sure, Bruce Springsteen and Paul Simon were up there too, but top of the pile as a…
Richard Ashcroft Sampling The Bee Gees – 10 Years Since Maurice Gibb’s Death
He was the glue, the joker, the multi-instrumentalist and the rock ‘n’ roll of the Bee Gees and today, it’s 10 years since Maurice Gibb’s sudden death. Thinking back to the news headlines after Maurice died (due to complications from a twisted intestine), so many stories referred to him as “the quiet Bee Gee” which…
The Timeless Genius Of Paul Simon’s American Tune
Over the last couple of weeks, Pam Corkery and I (Newstalk ZB’s The Two) have been doing ZB’s weekday evening show and have loved bringing what we do (which is normally once a week on Sundays between 9pm-midnight) to an even wider audience. For us a hugely important part of our shows is the music, even…
