Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts has died in London at the age of 80. The above photo was shared by Mick Jagger on Instagram in tribute to his friend. I love that Charlie Watts once punched Mick Jagger. It’s not that there were regular fisticuffs between these two Rolling Stones over their almost 60-years of…
Category: Artists: Q-Z
Six60 Are New Zealand’s Maroon 5… & That’s Not An Insult
It’s really nothing but a statistical reality. The more people that like you, the more that will profess to disliking you too. As in, if nobody’s heard of you then not only do you not have any fans, you also don’t have any objectors either. So if you happen to be big enough to sell…
Riley Roxy’s 1st Birthday – The U2 Song That Brought Her Into The World
We were in last chance saloon. When I say “we”, sure, I was fulfilling the role of the hand-squeezer while also in charge of the delivery-room music, but “we” was really quite clearly just my wife Aimee and her midwife Annie. As for “last chance saloon” though, that was more clear cut: there would be…
Anger & Hope – 10 Vital, Socially-Conscious Soul Songs The World Needs Right Now
Imagine, if just for a second, that President Obama had ordered peaceful protesters outside a historic church to be dispersed with tear gas and rubber bullets just so he could get a photo op with an upside down Bible. No clergy at the church were consulted, no prayers were made and no passages of scripture…
Forget Bradley Cooper, Here’s Who Should Play Barry Gibb In The Upcoming Bee Gees Biopic
OK, forgive me the headline because truth be told, if the rumours are correct and Bradley Cooper does end up playing Barry Gibb in the upcoming movie about the Bee Gees, I’ll be more than happy. He’s got the acting chops, looks and musical sensibilities, not to mention the necessary Gibb-like hirsuteness and Gibb-like tan-ability….
For Christchurch: U2’s ‘One’ And Why It Matters About The Word In The Song So Many Get Wrong
There’s a line in U2’s One that people always get wrong: “We’re one but we’re not the same / we get to carry each other…” “Get” being the key word. I remember Bono explaining this some years ago, pointing out that it’s a subtle but significant difference. If “we’ve got to carry each other” rather…
My Top 50 Sydney Photos + Unforgettable Exhibitions On Star Wars & The Rolling Stones
“Do you want to go to Sydney to cover a Rolling Stones exhibition and a Star Wars exhibition?” So came the question from my editor and if memory serves me correctly, I gave my first ‘yes’ at “Sydney”, my second ‘yes’ at “Rolling”, and was up to about ‘yes’ number six or seven by the…
12 Months Of NZ Herald Concert Reviews, Incl. Paul McCartney, Queen, Katy Perry, Shania Twain, Cat Stevens & Cher.
12 months ago I started reviewing concerts for the New Zealand Herald. Not every week and not even every month, but on average, every couple of months I’d find myself with pen and notepad at a gig by one of the biggest artists of all time. Tough job but someone has to do it! So,…
Goodbye To Joy Ramirez – The Stunning Stevie Wonder Song She Had At Her Wedding
Just over 24 hours ago I heard that one of my oldest and most remarkable friends had died in a tragic accident on her honeymoon in Vanuatu. I will never, ever forget Joy Ramirez and right now I feel very much in denial. Because Joy was always there for me. Though as I’m increasingly discovering, she…
U2 Stun With A Live, Gospel Version Of ‘I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For’
“We want to play for you now a gospel song, a gospel song with a restless spirit”. What a beautiful and succinct way to describe one of the most meaningful hits of the 80s and from an album that’s just as powerful 30 years on as it was in 1987. U2 would’ve performed I Still…
Music With A Message – My Newstalk ZB Interview On Why Pop Matters
A few weeks back I was interviewed on another Newstalk ZB show, Total Recall, about pop songs that have a message and a conscience. As someone who loves popular music and the possibilities of the format (including when it’s being highly socially charged) this is one of my favourite topics. In the clip below (approximately…
How A Bored-Looking Simon & Garfunkel Smashed Their Chuck Berry Cover Out Of Central Park
It was in the early 80s when I was about 3 or 4 years old that I was first introduced to the music of Chuck Berry. Dad brought home the cassette tape of Simon & Garfunkel’s The Concert In Central Park and amidst all the P. Simon writers credits was one for a certain C. Berry. This…