Books·Interviews·Music·NZ music·Recordings Wellington in the ’80s through the lens of an outsider music group November 7, 2024 Gary Steel GARY STEEL reviews a new book thatโs not only the story of an extraordinary band, label and scene, but an alternative history of Wellington Read More
Concerts·NZ music Live Shows From Way Back โ Wellington 1983 July 31, 2024 Gary Steel Gary Steel sniffs out another mouldering review from another not-so-present era. Wellington Performers Collective Fundraiser, Rock Theatre, Friday/Saturday 27/28 May 1983 Read More
Interviews·Music·NZ music Beat Rhythm Fashion โ two ancient interviews November 8, 2023 Gary Steel To honour recent interest in Wellingtonโs post-punk era GARY STEEL digs up two interview transcripts with Beat Rhythm Fashion. Read More
Life·Thought Piece What the heck has happened to Wellington’s Courtenay Place? June 30, 2023 Pat Pilcher Wellington's historic Courtenay Place was once a proud part of the inner city but has become shabby and dangerous, writes PAT PILCHER. Read More
Interviews·Music·NZ music Forty years ago: Wellingtonโs legendary Primitive Art Group June 2, 2023 Gary Steel Anthony and Stuart of Primitive Art Group explain the complex simplicity of their groupโs explorative terrain to GARY STEEL. Read More
Food & Drink Wellington On A Plate – Gastrofantastique! August 19, 2022 Pat Pilcher Winter in Wellington is a testing time for PAT PILCHER's gastronomic juices and it's all because of the delights on offer at WOAP. Read More
Albums·Music·NZ music·Recordings·Thought Piece Lawnmasterโs Curable Romantic โ Wellingtonโs self-proclaimed laziest band steps up June 2, 2022 Gary Steel Self-deprecating, funny and deeply humanistic, this Wellington bandโs latest deserves a hearing, reckons GARY STEEL. Read More
Concerts·Music·NZ music·Thought Piece Live shows from long agoโฆ Wolfgang/Coup D’Etat May 16, 2022 Gary Steel GARY STEEL's 1980 review of a gig by the Red Mole theatre troupe splinter band that was soon to become the hitmaking Coup D'Etat. Read More
Concerts·Music·Thought Piece Live shows from long agoโฆ Gary Numan May 9, 2022 Gary Steel When Gary Numan played in Wellington local punks spat on him, but his show was great according to GARY STEEL. Read More
Concerts·Music·NZ music·Thought Piece Live shows from long agoโฆ Split Enz 1980 (Second Coming) May 6, 2022 Gary Steel GARY STEEL wrote this review of the homecoming heroes' second 1980 Welly gig in the first edition of In Touch magazine. Read More
Concerts·Music Live shows from long agoโฆ Racey May 5, 2022 Gary Steel In one of his first live review assignments, GARY STEEL was surprised to find that novelty act Racey wasnโt as cack as heโd thought Read More
Concerts·Music Live shows from long ago… The Residents December 1, 2021 Gary Steel The Residents, Electric Ballroom, Wellington, New Zealand. Evening Post, 26/8/86 In 1986, GARY STEEL sat on a cold floor with a few hundred lucky Read More
Life If you’re using public transport and not wearing a mask you’re a rotten egg February 22, 2021 Pat Pilcher The rules are explicit: if travelling on public transport we must wear masks to protect against the spread of Covid-19. PAT PILCHER is aghast Read More
Interviews·Music Interviews From Hell: Bob Geldof November 21, 2019 Gary Steel GARY STEEL is celebrating 40 years of writing about music. In a life crammed with interviews, there are bound to have been a few Read More
Food & Drink Fill Yer Boots With Take Home (Craft) Beer October 8, 2019 Hadyn Green Our crafty beer guru HADYN GREEN celebrates the rise of the modern fillery Read More
Albums·Concerts·Music·Recordings The Best Year Ever For Music? 1979 Of Course! February 13, 2019 Gary Steel In 40 YEARS IN 52 WEEKS, GARY STEEL trawls through his archives to celebrate a lifetime of writing about modern music, and pens some Read More
Life·Thought Piece Will Stupidity Turn Wellington’s CBD Into A Ghost Town? August 27, 2018 Pat Pilcher Is Wellington's CBD doomed to become a ghost town? PAT PILCHER vents on the council ineptitude he says is causing Wellington's heart to wither Read More
Albums·Music·Recordings NZ Music Month – Shoes This High May 13, 2017 Gary Steel GARY STEEL digs up his 1981 review of the first and only record by the now-legendary Shoes This High. Read More
Gear·Hi-Fi·Sound and Vision·Speakers·Thought Piece Take That, Audio Snobs! January 5, 2017 Gary Steel GARY STEEL goes on the attack against audio snobbery as he details his rock and roll odyssey with Cerwin-Vega loudspeakers. Read More
Concerts·Music Braunias On Punkโs Finest Hour June 5, 2014 Gary Steel Gary Steel intended to climb into the crumbling catacombs of his back catalogue, and disinter a different story Every Day In May (EDIM), but Read More