GARY STEEL reaches back 30 years to his 1988 interview with Pink Floyd’s Nick Mason in the first of this three part series, looking back on the band’s 1988 Western Spring’s concert.
Music
Steinway’s “Most Significant Product Innovation In Over 70 years” To Make Its NZ Debut
If you’re a piano person and live in Auckland you’ll want to check this out: Steinway’s new $270,000 player piano is being hailed as game changing.
Max Wants To Put You To Sleep
Celebrated British composer Max Richter performs two of his works this weekend as part of the Auckland Festival. GARY STEEL had a wee chat with the man behind the epic Sleep and Vivaldi Recomposed.
Son Of Shut Up And Play Your Guitar
Frank Zappa is dead! Long live Frank Zappa! GARY STEEL witnesses the great man’s resurrection through the musical reinvention of son Dweezil Zappa and his ‘crack’ band.
Frank Zappa’s Music Gets A Welcome Dusting Off In Auckland This Tuesday
Dweezil Zappa’s Auckland gig has remained steadfastly under the radar, but GARY STEEL gives it his heartiest endorsement.
The Next Best Thing To A Frank Zappa Show In NZ
Next month Dweezil Zappa brings his father Frank’s music to New Zealand for the first time since 1976. LYNN ANSELL talked to the virtuosic guitarist/bandleader about what we can expect from ‘Dweezil Zappa Plays Whatever The F@%k He Wants’, a title that reflects the huge spat currently playing out between the Zappa siblings in Hollywood. [Note: Lynn consciously chose not to talk about that, because as Frank Zappa used to say, ‘Music is the best!’]
Tribute To A Dear Friend
Ron Kane was an American who loved NZ music at a time we barely acknowledged it, a record collector supreme, and part of a very strange musical group himself. GARY STEEL pays tribute to a good friend who died earlier today.
The Ones That Got Away #2
An occasional column in which GARY STEEL reviews a bunch of recordings that escaped his attention at the time of release, and finds them to be of merit.
Don’t Give Up Your Day Job #2
In the second of an occasional series, GARY STEEL gives the hard word to some aspiring musical artistes.
How To Deep Clean Your Vinyl And Extract A Shiny New Sound
DR RICHARD VAREY reports on his long and vigorous examination of a miscellany of record cleaning devices and methodologies.
Punk It Up Returns To Doomed Kings Arms Venue
Original Kiwi punk legends Proud Scum and many others to appear in February death knell for Auckland’s iconic Kings Arms venue. Witchdoctor readers are more known for their sophisticated high def ears than their punk credentials, but some of us know when to leave our ‘hi-fi’ at the door for […]
New U2 Album Hopefully Won’t Be Foisted On Hapless Apple Owners
U2 have announced their new album for release on December 1.